Secret Lovers
by a girl who likes hockey
Summary: What happens when two people on the opposite sides of the Force form a Force Bond? In the case of Padme Desertwar and Ben Kenobi, they fall in love. Sequel to "Secret Family".
1. Chapter 1

Padme Desertwar sat at her desk in her bedroom, finishing her history paper. She was almost done with school, and wanted to get ready for the next adventure in life.

She had just gone through one a week ago. A week ago, on her sixteenth birthday, she woke up as an orphan. Then the truth came out. She was the daughter of Rebellion leader Leia Organa and smuggler turned war hero Han Solo. She was the niece of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The most shocking revelation was that the late Emperor, Darth Vader, was also her grandfather, Anikin Skywalker.

Padme felt she lived a lifetime during the short period she was Vader's prisoner. But even through all the drama, she had grown in her Force abilities. She would not trade her experience for anything. Because if she had not gone through it, she never would have known just how strong she was in the Force.

She finished her history paper, and went downstairs for dinner. Leia was making a special meal. Not just for herself and Padme, but for Han, Chewbacca, and Padme's instructors. Since her daughter was privately tutored, this was her graduation dinner party. Padme would have to go back upstairs to get her paper. She didn't want to incur her mother's wrath if she was late for dinner.

But there was no wrath in Leia's eyes. Only love for her smart, beautiful, strong in the Force daughter. She was in shock at how the time flew by. It seemed like it was only yesterday she was cradling baby Padme in her arms. But now her daughter was all grown up. Leia could see Han smile at her with pride. Father and daughter had bonded quickly over the little time they spent together.

The graduate joined her parents, Chewy, C3PO, and her instructors at the dining table. Han cleared his throat when Padme sat in between two of her tutors.

"Sweetheart, it is your graduation day. You go sit at the head of the table," he instructed her, as he gave his daughter a wink. Padme moved to the head of the table, and her father pushed her chair in after she sat down.

She felt honored that all of her instructors came to the celebration. There was Dr. Burneda, her Science teacher, Dr. Protondown, her Math teacher. Dr. Artctilo, her Basic and Linguistics teacher, and her favorite, her History teacher, Dr. Quaserblast. Everyone enjoyed Padme's favorite meal.

After dinner, Padme excused herself to get her final assignment, which was a history paper. She had to write about a famous figure from the Clone Wars. Whether it was irony or the Force, she had been writing about her own grandfather, Anikin Skywalker.

She presented the paper to Dr. Quaserblast, who smiled at her. She knew Padme loved studying history, and her previous assignments were excellent.

A moment later, Padme was asked to stand in the middle of a circle. Surrounding her were her instructors and her family members. One by one, they took turns addressing the graduate personally. Padme did her best to fight back the tears as they spoke. But they quickly fell when her parents presented her with her degree.

It was official. Padme had graduated. One part of her life was over, and now, a new part of her life was about to begin. She was excited about what her future held for her.

Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy, Kylo Ren pondered his future. He knew his future would be filled with pain and sorrow, since his present was full of these emotions. It was only a week ago that he was Ben Kryze, a Jedi Knight training with Luke Skywalker. He was the Jedi closest to Luke, and the other Jedi were jealous of him. Ben had been born at the Jedi Temple. His mother, Sobina Kryze, had given her life to bring Ben into the world. Luke cared for the boy as if Ben was his son.

Luke had promised to tell Ben about his family when he turned eighteen, as per his mother's dying wish. That day came a week ago. But Luke had to leave the Temple. He pulled Ben to the side and explained why he had to go.

"I promise I will tell you everything when I get back, Ben. Once my niece is safe, I will come back," Luke promised.

Unfortunately for Ben, it was the other Jedi that had revealed the truth to him. The students had snuck into Luke's private quarters, and looked up the files on each student. They mockingly told Ben the ugly truth about his family.

Ben was conceived via rape. His mother, a peacekeeping Mandalorian, was sexually assaulted by Dr. Skeet Shipshooter, a war mongering Death Watch Member. Sobina had been rescued by Luke, after he unsuccessfully tried to ease tensions between the different clans.

But there were more secrets they revealed. Ben's mother was the secret love child of Duchess Satine Kryze and Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. Which meant Obi Wan was Ben's grandfather. He knew Obi Wan was a hero during the Clone Wars, a man who gave his life to save Luke and his friends. His grandfather was murdered by Darth Vader. He hated Vader, but Luke said that hating him would only lead Ben to the Dark side.

But the worst secret was the one that even Luke's students were shocked at. They had found out, and proceeded to tell Ben, that their master was the son of Darth Vader.

When Ben heard this, he felt the anger boil in him. The monster that had killed his grandfather was his master's father. Without thinking, he ignited his lightsaber, and began to attack his fellow Jedi. One by one, they were struck down. His cross guarded lightsaber changed from a stable blue color to an unstable cracking red color.

After the massacre, the fallen Knight pledged himself to the Dark side. The Jedi, Luke... they had all lied to him.

"Ben Kryze is dead. From now on, I will be Kylo Ren. I will not stop until Luke Skywalker and his family pay with their lives for what they have done to my family!" he told himself, as he began his quest to find the Skywalkers.

Soon, the news spread quickly through the galaxy that the Emperor was dead. Kylo smiled as he worked on the helmet he would be wearing. He was inspired by the helmets his Mandalorian ancestors wore. He did not want anyone to know who he was. Instead of looking like a Jedi Knight, he wore all black, to match the black helmet with silver trim around his eyes.

His travels led him to Mustafar, where he discovered Vader's ship, still docked on the planet. After Force choking a couple of Stormtroopers, he entered the ship. Kylo had found out that his father was the doctor on the ship. He thought he could at least track his father down. From what little Luke had told him, Kylo resembled his father.

But more disappointment, sorrow and fury came. Kylo found the security tape from Vader's quarters. He watched in horror as he saw his father being stabbed with a lightsaber. The murderer was not in view immediately. But as Kylo saw the tape advance, an all too familiar figure emerged, red lightsaber ignited.

Emperor Vader. Kylo's fist clenched in anger. Vader was responsible for murdering both his father and grandfather. He stopped the tape and took out the chip that had the information he needed. Then he proceeded to take his lightsaber and destroy everything in the ship.

He stepped outside, his anger flowing strong through his body. Kylo gazed upon the castle, and decided to enter it. He encountered an older male servant.

"What are you doing, barging into Lord Vader's castle?" the old man named Vanee asked. The only response Kylo gave him was a stab to Vanee's heart.

When Kylo did this, his action was felt by a young woman on Tatooine, who had just graduated, surrounded by her family members.


	2. Chapter 2

"No! Vanee!" Padme screamed, her face white as a ghost. The sudden outburst scared everyone in the living room.

"I think it's time to go home," Dr. Quaserblast said to the other instructors. They left the house. Padme retreated to the couch, the tears streaking down her face.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What about Vanee?" Leia asked, sitting down next to her daughter. She took Padme's hand into hers.

"He's dead, Mom. He was murdered!"

"Padme, are you sure?" Han asked.

"I'm positive. I felt it in the Force." Padme had an angry look in her eyes.

Leia squeezed her hand. She knew Padme was right. Whenever Luke was, he had felt the death as well. Chewbacca grunted his condolences.

"Please take me there," Padme begged her parents. "Take me back to Mustafar, so that I can pay my final respects."

Han started to shake his head in disagreement. He was worried about his daughter. She had just lost her grandfather, and now his servant was dead. What if the guy that killed Vanee was still there?

"He is no longer there. He has left the planet. I'm going to pay my final respects," Padme insisted, knowing her father's thought.

"Then we are going with you," Leia replied, embracing her daughter.

"Come, Chewy. Let's go get the ship," Han said to the Wookiee, raising his hands in surrender. "It's no use arguing with a woman who's made up her mind."

The family boarded the Millennium Falcon and headed to Mustafar. They arrived on the planet, and saw what damage was done to Vader's ship. But they were all shocked at the damage to the castle. Not one piece of furniture was left untouched. The chamber Vader had been in was smashed into a million pieces.

"You think the person who did this has anger issues?" Han snarly commented to Chewbacca, after they had finished burying Vanee.

"Ssh!" Leia scolded him, not wanting Padme to overhead. But she did.

"Han, this is more than an anger issue," his daughter explained to him. "The person who did this turned to the Dark side. No one causes this much destruction without being in tremendous agony and pain."

Padme suddenly smiled. Her family wondered why she was smiling. She told them,

"Luke is about to land. Come, let's go greet him." They followed Padme outside, and were surprised to see Luke step out of a X wing.

She rushed right to her uncle, and embraced him tightly. Luke had felt Vanee's passing, but he needed to see the evidence for himself. What he saw broke his heart. Ben was responsible for this. Luke had failed him, and now Ben was lost to the Dark side.

After he surveyed the damage his former apprentice had committed, Luke turned to his family and said,

"It was the same person who murdered the Jedi at the temple." Leia squeezed his hand in support.

"We are sorry," Han told him. "What can we do to help?"

"You and the family can stay as far away from me as possible," Luke sighed. "As long as he is out there, all of you are in danger."

"That is not happening," Leia argued. "This family is finally together. We are not going to abandon you!"

"She's right, Luke. You need someone by your side. You are in mourning right now."

"No," Luke strongly insisted. "This is my path to walk alone..."

"Stop being stubborn!" Padme interjected, frustrated by Luke's reluctance to ask for help.

"Padme Shmi!" her mother scolded her. Padme ignored Leia and focused her attention on her uncle.

"Luke, you have always been the one to go out of your way, to help your family. Now it's time for us to do the same for you."

Padme placed her hands in his. She looked up and saw the tears in Luke's eyes. He took a deep breath. His niece was right. He needed help. He slowly nodded his head, and she embraced him.

"How did you get so smart?" Luke asked her, as Han, Leia and Chewbacca came around them.

"I learned from my uncle," she whispered sweetly. After a moment, they all boarded the Millennium Falcon.

"I need to go to Hosnian Prime, to warn the Senate about the First Order," Leia explained. The First Order was a splinter group that formed after the Empire was disbanded following Vader's death.

"Will the Senate be in agreement on declaring war against them?" Luke asked.

"I will do my best to convince them. But since they have not attacked yet, it will be an uphill battle. My sources told me that are preparing for war in the Outer Rim."

"If they attack, then I will have the rest of the Jedi join the fight. This remnant of the Empire must be crushed before it takes over the entire galaxy."

"I guess we are not going back home," Padme uttered. Part of her was glad, since she did not like growing up on Tatooine.

"No, not until there is no more First Order," Leia replied. Why could there not be peace in the galaxy, for her daughter's generation?

"But now, we will be fighting two wars," Han grunted. "We have the First Order and Luke's murderous ex-student to deal with."

"This is why I did not want all of you involved. He will not stop until our family is destroyed," Luke said in frustration.

"We are not going to leave you alone, to fight this dangerous person yourself!" Leia argued back.

"He won't be alone, Mom. We will go to Hosnian Prime, and speak to the Senate. They will declare war on the First Order, and we will go and fight them," Padme told them. All of them turned their attention to her.

"You are not going to fight anyone, sweetheart. You are too young!" Han told her.

"I am sixteen, older enough to fight, Han."

"Absolutely not! We just got you back. No, you are not going. We will bring you to a planet that will be safe from what is to come."

"No," Padme snapped, shaking her head in disagreement.

"Padme, this is not up for discussion!"

"You're right. It's not. I am going to fight." She stormed away in frustration.

"Can anyone back me up here with this?" Han exclaimed to his family. Chewbacca said something to him that he did not like.

"Never mind what I was doing when I was her age!" he angrily snapped at the Wookiee. "Leia, do you want this for our daughter?"

"Of course not," she replied back. "But Padme is right. We cannot stop her from joining this fight. And Han, even if we try... she will run off and do so anyway. Then she will not speak to us. That is something I do not want to happen."

"Maybe we should sit down and talk to her," Luke suggested. Everyone looked at Han, who threw up his hands in surrender.

"I guess I will lead the way," he said, as they made their way back to where Padme was.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, Kylo Ren flew the TIE fighter he had stolen when he was on Mustafar. Destroying Vader's ship and castle brought him a little relief. But it did not last. He could not kill Vader, since he was dead. But he could kill Luke Skywalker and the rest of his family.

He thought about going to Mandalore, to see if any of his distant relatives were still alive. But Kylo thought better of it. They would see him as an outsider, even though both of his parents were Mandalorians. Also, if they found out his grandfather was Obi Wan Kenobi, they would probably kill him. Many on the planet still resented the Jedi for battles they fought centuries ago.

There was only one logical place to start his quest for revenge. Kylo had to go back to the place where it all began, to Tatooine. He set course to the planet with twin suns.

After walking through the desert and taking out a few Tusken Raiders, Kylo was led by the Force to one particular home. It seemed like a nice place. He ignited his lightsaber, just in case anyone was home. Which no one was. He turned off his weapon and walked into the living room.

He glanced at the wall nearest to the stairs. His eyebrow was raised in surprise as he saw markings on the wall. Kylo drew closer to examine them. Blaster bolts must have hit the wall, which meant only one thing.

"Vader!" he hissed angrily. No wonder the Dark side called him to this home! The Emperor had been in this place. Why Vader was there, Kylo did not know. He only knew it was time to wreck the room, which he did. After doing the same to the kitchen, he headed up the stairs, to where the bedrooms were.

He walked into two bedrooms, the ones furthest from the stairs. He felt nothing in them. He was about to go downstairs when he spotted another bedroom.

He entered the room, and was overwhelmed. Someone very powerful in the Force slept in this room. He walked along the wall, and felt the fear. Kylo spotted a laundry hamper. He quickly dumped out the contents. He grabbed a pink nightgown. The fear, anger and pain flowed from it into Kylo. He could hear a young woman's muffled cry. She was frightened, she felt alone...

She was Vader's prisoner. The girl was taken from the home. Vader was not known to capture Force Sensitives, he left that job to others. But this time, Vader took the girl.

"Hope she escaped," Kylo said to himself. He proceeded to destroy the bedrooms except for the one that belonged to the girl.

"If I can find this girl, she can help me destroy the Skywalker family," he told himself, as he exited out of the house. He did not realize the house he was in was the home of two Skywalkers. He continued his search, feeling a bit dejected.

Padme and her family arrived at Hosnian Prime. The Galactic Senate was there. She hoped that she would not have to sit through all the speeches they would make.

"Chewy, why don't you take Padme to the central library?" Leia suggested. She knew her daughter would be bored, and it would also give herself and Han some alone time.

Both Chewbacca and Padme nodded in agreement. They made their way to the library. Padme marveled at the thousands of books that were stored there.

"I'm going to go over there," she said to the Wookiee. Chewy grunted his approval, and she walked to the history section. There were various books about the history of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, and of various planets.

Padme stumbled across a small book. It had a golden cover on it. It was small enough to fit into her knapsack, which held her grandfather's lightsabers in. On the cover, the title listed was "The Theory of Force Bonds".

After Chewy found her, they made their way to the head librarian. Padme held the golden book in her hand. She asked how long she could take out the book.

"Let me see," the librarian said, as Padme handed her the book. She opened to the back of the book, and had a curious look on her face.

"This book has not been take out for thousands of years," the librarian told Padme. "Since it is quite old, you may keep it, miss."

"Really?" Padme exclaimed in delight. The librarian handed the book to the young woman.

"Does your Wookiee friend want to take out any books?" Chewy grunted.

"No, ma'am. He's more of a take action type than a reader," Padme explained, before she and Chewbacca left the library.

Kylo wandered through the desert and found an old cave. It looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time. It was getting late, so he decided to enter the cave to rest.

The moment he stepped inside the cave, the anger stirred deep within him. Luke had been here recently. Kylo was about to destroy the cave, but paused. He heard Luke call out his former name repeatedly. Ben, he heard over and over again. But Luke was not calling out to him, he was calling out to someone else.

Kylo dropped to his knees in shock. He took off his helmet, and tossed it aside. He covered his face. Obi Wan. Luke called him Ben. This cave was Obi Wan's home.

"Grandfather!" Kylo cried out, gazing at the humble cave Obi Wan called home. It was not fair, how his grandfather lived like this, looking after Luke. He should have honored as the great Jedi Master he once was. He gave his life to save Luke and his friends, and what thanks did he get? None. The Skywalkers destroyed Kylo's family. He was the only one left, and he was not going to lose his life to a Skywalker.

"I will avenge you, Obi Wan, if it is the last thing I ever do!" Kylo growled angrily. He laid down on an old bed, and browsed through the small library of books his grandfather owned. One book caught his eye. He reached over and grabbed the book. It was a golden covered book titled "The Theory of Force Bonds".

"Hmm, never saw this book at the Jedi Academy," he thought to himself. He started to read the book. But the day's discoveries made him tired. Within ten minutes, he fell asleep.

On Hosnian Prime, Padme decided to relax before dinnertime. She returned to her room, and threw off her shoes. She laid on her side and decided to read her new book. She got through the first couple of chapters before she closed her eyes to take a nap.

Kylo stirred from his sleep, and was amazed to find that he was no longer in the cave. He was in a beautiful grassy meadow, leaning against a tree.

"I must be dreaming!" he thought to himself. "It's just a dream, nothing more..."

He paused. He felt a presence. Someone was here in his dream, someone he did not know. He slowly stood up, still leaning against the tree. Kylo did not have his lightsaber on him, and quietly cursed himself. He carefully turned in the direction the presence was coming from. He was ready to attack, but stopped, and nearly dropped his mouth opened by what he saw.

It was a young woman! She had chestnut brown hair that was put up into a bun. She was looking around the meadow, most likely trying to figure out her surroundings. She wore a purple dress that hugged her body. She was gorgeous!

Kylo knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath, came from behind the tree, and said with as much confidence as he could muster,

"Hello there!"


	4. Chapter 4

Padme was startled. She turned around to see who was calling out to her. It was a young man! He was handsome and tall, with wavy black hair.

"Hi," she responded, not knowing what else to say. The only other person she had ever dreamt about was Anikin.

The young man began to approach her. She took a step back, not sure of what his intentions were.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I will not harm you. I just want to talk."

Padme breathed a sigh of relief. Since she did not have either of her grandfather's lightsabers on her, she would not be able to protect herself if the man intended to harm her.

"What do you want to talk about?' she asked, feeling a little more courageous. The man continued to drew near to Padme. He saw her eyes, the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

"I want to know how you got into my dream."

Padme looked into his brown eyes and replied,

"I think you are mistaken. You are in my dream."

Kylo tilted his head, puzzled by what the woman said to him. He did not have many dreams when he was Ben Kryze, and the little time he was Kylo Ren all he had was nightmares. But now, he was standing before this woman. He wanted to know more about her.

"I think we are sharing a dream, Miss... I don't know your name," Kylo said softly, not wanting to scare her away.

"My name is Padme Desertwar," she replied to the young man. She was also curious about him, this handsome guy that stood before her. Padme hoped he could not tell how nervous she felt. Kylo could tell, but seeing her also made him nervous.

"Hi, Padme," Kylo responded. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. He guessed that she was named after Senator Padme Amidala.

"And you are?" Padme asked. Kylo had to think quick. So he said the first name that came to his mind.

"I'm Ben Kenobi," he told her. It wasn't a complete lie. He was born a Ben, and his grandfather was a Kenobi.

"Hi, Ben," the young woman sheepishly said. She extended her hand to Kylo. He reached out and grabbed her hand to shake it.

They both felt the Force suddenly flow strongly in them. They fell to the knees seconds later.

"What just happened?" Padme panicked.

"I don't know," Kylo admitted, the first to rise to his feet. "I felt..." He paused, not knowing what she knew about the Force.

"The Force flowing through our bodies," Padme replied, finishing his statement. Kylo was surprised, to say the least. He offered her his hand, to help her to get up. Padme reluctantly accepted, concerned that they would get knocked down again. Thankfully, Kylo was able to help her to her feet without incident.

"Thanks," she said, dusting off her dress.

"You are welcome," he responded with a smile on his face. "You know about the Force?"

"Yes, I do." Padme was not sure where this conversation was going.

"May I..." Kylo began to say.

"Absolutely not! You may not take the bun out," Padme told him, surprised at what she said. Kylo was in shock as well.

"How did you know I was going to ask that?"

"I don't know. But let me try something." Padme closed her eyes and focused. She opened her eyes and said to Kylo,

"You are in your grandfather's home."

Kylo's face went pale. How did she know this?

"This is bizarre. How did you know that?" he questioned her.

"I don't know," Padme replied honestly. She was starting to get scared. She had previously been able to read the minds of her family members. But now, she could read Ben's mind.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it too," she heard Kylo say. She looked up at him. He was also frightened.

They decided to sit down and try to figure out what happened. It took a few minutes before Padme asked Kylo,

"What were you doing before you fell asleep?"

"I was reading a book about Force Bonds. And you?" Padme did not answer right away.

"Padme?" He tried to get her attention. She was quiet, too quiet for his liking.

"What was the name of the book?" she managed to ask. She knew the answer, but needed to hear it from Kylo's mouth.

"It's called 'The Theory of Force Bonds'," Kylo, or Ben, as Padme knew him, replied back. The color drained from her face.

"How far did you get into the book?"

"Just the first two chapters. Why?" Her face looked like she had seen a ghost.

"I don't know how to say this, but..."

"But what? Padme, what is it?"

"Ben... I think we formed a Force Bond with each other!"

Kylo could not believe what he was hearing. A Force Bond, with a total stranger?

"That doesn't make any sense," he countered, trying to calm both of their nerves down.

"Then explain how I knew you are at your grandfather's home, and how I knew you were going to ask about removing the bun out of my hair," she argued back. Kylo wanted to respond back, but couldn't. Padme was right. There was no other explanation other than they had formed a Force Bond with each other.

"I read that they are usually formed between Jedi masters and their padawans. But they can form between... Force Users," Padme said, coming to a realization.

"You're Force sensitive," she guessed correctly. She stood to her feet, and Kylo did the same.

"So are you," he replied back. Neither of them said anything for a moment. Then Padme busted out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kylo questioned her, with a confused look on his face.

"Ben, we formed a Force Bond after we started reading a book about Force Bonds!" Padme exclaimed, trying to keep the tears of laughter from falling.

Kylo tilted his head. He was liking Padme the more he was around her.

"Yes, it is funny," he replied, managing a smile. "But I think when we shook hands, that is when the Force Bond happened."

Padme started to reach to her face, to wipe away the tears. But Kylo's hands got their first. She was surprised, but she did not push him away as he gently wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

"Why is he touching my face?" Padme thought to herself. Kylo knew her thought, but did not respond to it.

"Is that better?" Kylo asked, still having one hand on her cheek. To himself, he thought,

"I hope this dream never ends!"

Padme grinned, knowing his thought. She wished the same thing. She noticed how Ben looked at her. He looked like he wanted to kiss her! She was nervous, but she wanted to kiss him, too. She drew closer, so that they were only inches apart.

"She wants me to kiss her!" Kylo said excitedly to himself. He removed his hand from her cheek and lifted her chin. He lowered his head, and was about to place his lips on hers. Then they heard a female voice, call out Padme's name.

"It's my mom," Padme grunted, upset about the disruption. Kylo was upset too, but he did not want Padme to get in trouble for missing dinner.

"Go have dinner," he told her, pulling away from her.

"I'd rather stay here with you," Padme said to Kylo's mind.

"I know. Next time, there will be no interruptions," he replied back out loud.

"Will there be a next time?"

"We'll see." Kylo gave Padme a wink. "Go, before you get into trouble."

Padme waved goodbye to Ben, and woke up from the dream.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm coming!" Padme shouted to her mom. She left her room and joined her family for dinner. She did not want to have dinner. She wanted to be back upstairs, dreaming. She wanted to be with Ben. Padme felt the Force connection when they touched.

Luke was the last one to come to dinner. Padme felt his sadness. He had heard something before he came, and he wasn't sharing it with the rest of the family. Conversation was had, but he didn't talk.

"What's wrong?" Padme finally had the courage to ask. Luke gave her a look to be quiet. Leia and Han noticed the exchange.

"I guess I might as well say it," Luke began, blaming himself for what had happened. " Leia, your neighbor called while you were upstairs waking up Padme. The house was broken into."

"What!" Leia cried out in horror. Han had a concerned look on his face.

"Your neighbor found all the rooms except one a wreck. Your furniture was destroyed, stuff was thrown all over the place..."

"Thank the Maker we are all here, and not there to see it!"

"Luke, you said all but one of the rooms was a wreck," Han said to his friend.

"Yes. The neighbor said one of the bedrooms was barely touched. Just a bunch of dirty clothes on the floor, He found... he found a pink nightgown folded on the bed," Luke explained.

Padme gasped. It was her nightgown! Whoever broke into her home had gone through her dirty clothes and touched her nightgown. The nightgown she was in when she came face to face with Vader.

She wanted to ask the question, but her father beat her to it.

"This ex-student of yours, he did this, didn't here?" Han asked. Luke slowly shook his head in the affirmative. Han stood up from the chair, and pulled out his blaster.

"Han, sit down! This is not the time to be playing hero!" Leia snapped at him.

"I am not going to sit by while this guy harasses us. Especially when it affects my daughter!"

"Han, please!" He left the dinner table, with Leia following after him, and Chewbacca following her.

"That is why I did not want to say anything," Luke said to his niece. "I hope your mother can calm him down."

"I'm concerned about you," Padme said. "You have been so sad, since this student of yours turned to the Dark side. You need to tell us what happened. Who is this man?"

"I will not say. It is for your own protection."

"How can we feel protected if we don't know who's coming after us?"

"Padme, I will not discuss this, especially with you..."

"Luke, don't you see? You are keeping secrets from your family. Secrets that will come out one day, whether you like it or not. Look at what happened with me!"

"Leia kept you a secret to protect you from Vader."

"But did it protect me? No, it didn't! Mom realized the mistake she made. You are making the same mistake now, not telling us who this person is."

"Padme, for the last time, I will not tell you who he is!" Luke stood up and walked away.

"Well, I guess dinnertime is over," Padme glumly thought to herself. She headed towards the living room. She heard the voices of her family. She hid just outside the entrance, and used Force listening to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Leia," she heard Han say to her mom. "We can't expose Padme to this danger!"

"If you force her to stay somewhere she does not want to, she will just run away. She will do what she wants, and then she will never speak to us again. Is that what you want?" Leia countered.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Luke offered. "If I tell her to stay safe, to join us in this fight, she may listen."

Han nodded his head in agreement. But Leia disagreed. She knew even Luke would not be able to convince Padme to stay, once her daughter had made up her mind.

"She won't change her mind, unless..." Leia began.

"Unless what?" Luke questioned. It took a moment to figure out what she was going to say.

"I am not telling Padme about what happened with my student!" Luke scowled in anger.

"You have to tell someone, Luke. This is destroying you inside. It's taken you to a dangerous place. A very dark place. A place you have not been since Sidious' throne room."

Leia moved closer to her brother, and took his hand. He needed to say something. Luke nodded his head, and he and Leia sat down on the couch. Han sat next to them in a recliner.

"He was my best student," Luke began to explain. "I had rescued his mother from a dangerous political situation, as well as a personal one. I will not say who she is, because his life would be in danger if people from a particular planet knew of his existence."

"This student's situation mirrors mine," Padme thought to herself. She was relieved that Luke was finally sharing about what happened.

"I took his mother back with me to the Jedi Temple. The personal situation she was escaping was that she had been raped by an opposing political faction member, and became pregnant. I told her she could stay until the baby was born, and then I would help her find a safe planet to raise the baby."

Padme felt compassion for the woman Luke mentioned. It reminded her what a Stormtrooper tried to do to her back on her grandfather's Star Destroyer.

" What happened?" Leia asked, never hearing this story from Luke.

"She stayed at the temple until she gave birth. Unfortunately, it was a difficult delivery, and she died an hour after giving birth to a boy. She begged me to raise him, to train him to be a Jedi. She asked me to wait until he was eighteen to tell him the truth about his family. I promised her he would not know until then."

"So you kept this secret from this kid?" Han interjected in surprise. "This is kind of ironic, right?"

Leia gave him an annoyed look before asking her brother,

"Is he the one? Is he the student that killed the Jedi and turned to the Dark side?"

"He is," Luke sighed, still brokenhearted over what Ben had done. Chewbacca grunted in sorrow.

"I had every intention of keeping her promise. But..." Luke stopped, afraid of what the rest of them would think.

"But what?" Han snapped in frustration. "What happened? Why didn't you tell this kid the truth?"

"Because when he turned eighteen...that was when Padme was kidnapped," Luke confessed. No one said anything for a moment.

"I should have told him before I left. And now..." Luke moaned. Leia wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't blame yourself. How could you have know she was going to be kidnapped that day?" Leia tried to reassure him. But Luke shook his head.

"I had a bad felling about leaving him. But I could not turn my back on you, or on Padme, So I left, promising to him that I would tell him the truth when I got back. But he found out while I was gone..."

"And that is when everything happened," Han concluded.

"Please, do not tell Padme any of this." Luke begged them. "I don't want her to think it was her fault this happened!"

"Luke, I don't think she would..." Leia began to say. He raised his hand to silence her.

"Please, just don't tell her. I will tell her when the time is right."

"Ok. I won't say anything."

"Neither will Chewy and I," Han stated. "But won't Padme be able to figure out what happened, using her Force powers?"

"She may, but for now, I don't want her to know," Luke told him. "Now, we need to discuss about tomorrow's meeting with the Senate, concerning the threat of the First Order."

Padme slowly made her way back to her room. She was shocked at what Luke had said. This student, exactly two years older than her, fell to the Dark side because of a family secret. A secret her uncle kept from him. The worst part, Padme felt as she climbed into bed, was that it could have been prevented if Luke hadn't left.

But he did leave, to go and help rescue her from Vader. If she had not been kidnapped, Luke never would have left. Now she understood why her uncle did not want her to know.

"It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't been kidnapped, he never would have left, the student would not have turned to the Dark side and the Jedi at the temple would still be alive."

No wonder this former Jedi was angry! Padme understood all too well the shock of finding out about family secrets. She wondered how the man found out the truth. She recalled the anger she felt when Leia told her she was her mother and Han was her father. She had forgiven her mother. But hearing this story of another young person not knowing who his family was made Padme cry. She ended up falling asleep, the tears still falling down her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Kylo was still in the meadow, still sleeping in the cave on Tatooine. He saw Padme appear, as he leaned against the tree. He was delighted. She had come back! He leapt to his feet and jogged in her direction.

"Hello there, Padme!" Kylo said with the biggest smile on his face. The smile quickly disappeared when he approached her. She was upset, tears streaking down her face.

"Padme?" he uttered softly, concerned about her. She gazed at him, not knowing what to say to him. His heart ached, because he felt her pain and sorrow.

Kylo opened his arms and tightly embraced Padme. He held her close as the tears became sobs. Kylo hated seeing her this upset, but he knew she was not ready to talk about what was bothering her. She needed someone just to hold her, someone that was not a member of her family.

"I'm here, Padme. As long as you need me," he vowed to her. Padme slowly calmed down. She felt safe in Ben's arms.

After a few minutes, she pulled away. Twice she had cried in front of him.

"He must think I'm a mess!" she thought to herself.

"If you're a mess, then I'm a disaster," Kylo responded back out loud. Padme was surprised that he knew her thought.

"Force Bond, remember?" he added, with a small smile on his face.

"I remember," she replied. "My face! Oh, it must look horrible!"

"Not at all," Kylo whispered in a husky voice. He wrapped his arms around Padme's waist. She felt a shiver go down her spine, but she also wrapped her arms around him.

"Please let there be no interruptions!" Kylo thought to himself, as he brought a hand to Padme's face. She closed her eyes as he leaned in and placed his lips onto hers for a kiss.

"Thank the Maker!" Padme said to herself, as Kylo kissed her.

"Thank the Maker is right!" Kylo responded back non-verbally. He wanted to keep kissing her, but he sensed she wanted to take things slowly. So he withdrew his lips from hers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kylo asked her, as he took her hand and led her to the tree.

"About what?" Padme asked, a little embarrassed.

"About what upset you. Wait, what did you think..." Kylo paused. Padme thought he wanted to talk to her about the kiss!

She turned her back on him, feeling ashamed.

"Don't feel that way," he told her. She turned to face him, and smiled.

They sat down on the ground. Padme shared her frustration about her family, wondering why they felt they needed to keep secrets from her.

"So you found out a secret they were hiding from you?" Kylo asked. She nodded her head in agreement. He felt compassion for her. He could definitely relate to her feelings.

"I'm sorry about that. It's not a good feeling, being kept in the dark, especially about family stuff," he added, as he caressed the side of her face.

"You understand," Padme replied, as she titled her head. "Because it happened to you, too."

Kylo's face went pale. Did Padme know what he had done? He mentally blocked the memories, so that she could not read them. But if she knew, then she would have ran away. Instead, she stayed there, waiting for him to respond.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he finally said to her. "It's very personal."

"Oh," she uttered in dejection.

"But one day, if we ever meet face to face, I will tell you everything," Kylo promised her.

"And I will do the same," Padme replied.

They came to an understanding. If they did not want to talk about something, the other person would not push them to.

"I'm tired of talking, anyway," Padme sighed.

"I agree," Kylo replied with a mischievous grin on his face. He leaned in and kissed Padme, his arms wrapped around her waist.

Padme and Kylo, or Ben as she knew him, continued to meet every night in their shared dreams. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would kiss, and other times, they would lean against the tree and hold each other in silence.

Padme's family stayed in Hosnian Prime. The Senate decided not to declare war on the First Order. The Order started their assault on the Outer Rim. Their first target was Endor, in revenge of what the native Ewoks in aiding the Rebellion years ago. Luke, Leia and Han gathered as many volunteers as they could get to fight. But the enemy countered back, and they seized control of Endor.

Kylo continued his quest to find Luke and his family. He would kill anyone who was in allegiance to the First Order, since it was birthed out of the Empire Vader had reigned over.

He had left Tatooine, and made his way to Ryloth. It was a planet strong in tradition of rebelling against the Empire. He remembered reading about freedom fighter Cham Syndulla, and his daughter, General Hera Syndulla.

Kylo wanted to take a break from seeking revenge. He decided to stay in Lessu, the capital city of Ryloth. He needed time to think. It had been three months since he and Padme formed the Force bond. Kylo was at a crossroads. He still desperately wanted revenge, but his desire to be with Padme was just as strong.

He knew that she wanted to fight against the First Order. Kylo tried to stay neutral. He despised the Order, but the Rebellion was being led by Luke Skywalker, who he hated.

He was walking around Lessu when he saw from a distance a couple of Stormtroopers, harassing a young Twilek boy. Kylo wore his helmet and black outfit. Without thinking, he ignited his light saber and began attacking the Stormtroopers.

"Run!" he screamed at the boy, who obeyed. Kylo quickly killed the soldiers. He was disgusted by them, trying to pick on a little child!

Kylo looked and saw a legion of them heading in his direction. He felt the anger build inside of him. If they wanted to fight, he would give them one. They advanced. Kylo struck them down, one by one. He felt the fury of the Dark side flow through him as he stabbed and slashed his enemy, using Force push and pull in his assault.

Another legion of Stormtroopers stood by in amazement at the masked warrior. The leader of the First Order, General Armitage Hux, came from the back to see why the troops were not moving. His evil eyes stared at what this single person was doing.

"General, do we advance against him?" the lead Stormtrooper, Captain Phasma, asked.

"No," General Hux replied. "He needs to be captured. This man is a force user, he cannot arrested by regular means. Have a small group of soldiers take the special taser and handcuffs, and follow him. When they have him cornered, seize him and bring him to me."

Kylo fled back to the place he was staying at. He knew he needed to get off the planet before any more Stormtroopers come after him. He quickly packed his few belongings, grabbed his lightsaber, and ran out the door.

He encountered a Stormtrooper. Kylo was about to reach for his lightsaber, but he was tasered from behind. He fell to the ground, stunned by the shock given to him. He was quickly handcuffed from behind, and roughly forced to his feet. They dragged him away, and took him on a shuttle ship to the Finalizer.

Kylo was thrown into a cell. The soldiers entered and locked the door behind them. They tore his mask off . Kylo tried to fight them off as they proceeded to undress him. They took turns restraining him, as they kicked, punched and spat at him. Kylo grunted in pain.

Before he was tasered, Padme had just stepped out of the shower. She was in her bedroom when she felt pain in her body. At first, she thought she pulled a muscle after her training session with Luke. But the pain kept coming, on different parts of her body, growing more intense. She tried to get to her bed, but she felt like she was being restrained. Padme then felt strange hands on her body, as if they were touching her while she was naked.

She was terrified. Padme finally managed to make it to the bed. She laid on top of it, trying to figure out what was going on with her. She tried to calm herself down by breathing, but it was not working.

Kylo laid on the floor, naked, bruised and bleeding. The Stormtroopers pulled him up. Padme cried in pain as she felt the tightness around her arms. Kylo was brought into the interrogation room. Both he and Padme felt the restraints being placed on their hands and feet.

"Padme," Kylo called to her through the Force.

"I'm here, Ben," she softly replied. "Where are you?"

"In the custody of the First Order."

"Ben, no! Get out of there!"

But Kylo could not escape. That was the moment General Hux walked in the room. Padme felt Ben's fear as the general drew to his prisoner.

 **Author's note: If you wanted to be spoiled and know the name of the young Twilek boy, you can read my story "Children Know Best".**


	7. Chapter 7

Hux stabbed Kylo with a syringe. Both he and Padme cried out in pain. She was crying. She could not hear the conversation between Ben and Hux.

"Let's have a little chat, Jedi," Hux said in a calm but sinister voice. He pulled up a chair and sat by Kylo's side. He had a datapad in his hand.

"Ben, what is going on?" Padme asked.

"Hux just stuck me with a needle. Padme, you need to cut off the Force bond," Kylo begged her.

"So Jedi, you think you are a hero, attacking my Stormtroopers," Hux began. "But look at you now. I could easy do anything to you, even kill you."

"So kill me!" Kylo snarled in anger. Padme felt his fury, and begged him to be calm. But it was not in his nature to do so, unless he was with her.

"I have a proposition for you, Jedi," Hux continued.

"I am no Jedi!" Kylo screamed at him. Padme felt Ben's anger. She had not felt this since she almost turned to the Dark side.

"But you were a Jedi once, right?" Kylo shook his head no, and felt a pain shock in his body. Padme felt it, too.

"If you lie, your body will get shocked," Hux explained to him. "I suggest that you tell the truth. So what is your name?"

"Ben," Kylo replied, trying to calm himself down. Hux was typing.

"Last name?"

"Kenobi." Kylo was shocked again.

"Your birth name."

"Ben Kryze," Kylo gasped, hoping that Padme could not hear this conversation.

"Are you related to Duchess Satine Kryze?" Hux asked, surprised by the prisoner's last name.

"She is my grandmother." Kylo did not want to tell the general anything, but whatever Hux had injected him with forced him to be honest.

"Interesting. I never met a Mandalorian before. No wonder you fought like you did. So, ex Jedi, why did you attack my troops?"

"They were harassing a young Twilek boy. They need to pick on someone their own size!"

"Ben, please calm down. I don't want you to get hurt," Padme pleaded, wishing that she could see or at least hear what he was dealing with.

"You are powerful in the Force, Ben. The First Order could use you to take control of the galaxy," Hux coolly told him.

"I will not join! I hate the First Order!" Kylo snapped.

"You will join, Ben. You have no choice. I can see the anger in your eyes. You don't care if you live or die. But there is someone out there that you must care about."

"Ben, what is wrong?" Padme yelled. But Kylo would not answer her.

"My family is dead. There is no one I care about," Kylo uttered, before suffering another shock.

"Ben," Hux grunted, grabbing Kylo's face. "You are lying. Tell me the name of the person you care about. The more you lie, the stronger the shocks will get."

"There is no one!" Kylo screamed, anticipating the shock to his body. It was a strong one. Padme grabbed her stomach in pain.

"Ben, what is going on?" Padme begged for him to reply. But he refused. He felt horrible that she was aware of his predicament.

"Maybe you need to know what I want from you," Hux said, letting go of Kylo's face. " I need you to find the Rebel bases."

"How I am suppose to do that?' Kylo questioned, in discomfort from the torture he was being put through.

"By using your Force powers, of course."

"I will not help you!"

"You will help me. Which reminds me..." Hux stated, before stabbing Kylo with another syringe.

"I need the name of the person you care about," he added, as he spoke into Kylo's ear. Kylo said nothing, but grunted as his body was being shocked repeatedly.

"The longer you remain silent, the quicker you will succumb to death," Hux warned him. "Now it would be a shame for that to happen, wouldn't it?"

"Ben," Padme pleaded with him. "Please answer me. Please tell me you are all right!" But Kylo was not all right. He couldn't take the pain anymore.

"Her name is Padme Desertwar," Kylo finally confessed. Hux pulled away from Kylo and typed the girl's name in his datapad. The tears flowed down Kylo's face.

"Please answer me," Padme called out to Ben, her tears matching his.

"Ben, if you do not reveal the Rebel bases, I will find her," Hux taunted him.

"No," Kylo begged. "Leave her alone!"

"I will find Padme, and bring her before you. If you do not reveal the bases, I will rape and kill her before your eyes."

Kylo 's eyes widened in horror. He unsuccessfully tried to escape from his restraints. Padme sensed his fear, and kept asking him to talk to her. But he refused. He had already put her life in danger.

"Leave her alone!" Kylo shouted, disgusted by how evil Hux was. Kylo knew he was dark, but Hux took evil to another level!

"I will, as long as you find the bases for me," Hux reminded him. "So Ben, what will it be?"

Kylo hated this. He hated Hux and everything the First Order stood for. But he had to protect Padme. Even if he never saw her, he did not want her to be tortured by Hux.

"If I agree to this, I want to wear my black outfit and mask. I want to be addressed as Kylo Ren. And I want my lightsaber back," Kylo demanded.

"I will agree on the outfit and the name, but not the lightsaber. You are not to go out and fight. I need you alive, and you could die in the battlefield. I will keep your lightsaber locked away," Hux explained.

"Now where is the Rebel base?" he demanded, his gaze intense on Kylo. Ben closed his eyes and meditated. He was sickened for what he was about to do.

"The Rebel base is located on Sullust, at the mining facility at Inyusu Tor," Kylo told Hux. The general gave him an evil smile.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it? See, you are not being shocked. Which means you are telling me the truth." Hux walked to the door and called for the Stormtroopers. He turned to Kylo and said,

"As long as you keep revealing the bases, Padme will remain safe." The Stormtroopers released Kylo from his restraints.

"Take him back to his cell, and make sure he dresses himself. He is not to be harmed," the general commanded.

The soldiers dragged Kylo back to his cell, and left him to dress himself. He was so upset, he didn't even put his helmet back on.

Padme knew the torment was over, but a new pain washed over her. Ben was not talking to her. She felt he was depressed, angry and waiting to die. Her heart yearned for him.

"Ben, please come and meet me," Padme said to him. She quickly fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Padme walked in the meadow, searching for Ben. Kylo fought hard not to fall asleep, but he was exhausted from the torture he was put through. One minute, he was lying on the cot. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree.

Padme saw Ben, and immediately rushed over to him. Kylo would have used Force push to keep her away, but he was drained. He did not even have the strength to stand up and run away from her.

"You shouldn't have come," he gasped, as she knelt next to him. Padme took Ben's hand, and looked him in the eyes. They were so dark, so full of regret.

"Ben, I'm here for you, as long as you need me," Padme told him, touching the side of his face. Hearing the same words he spoke to her three months earlier broke Kylo. She hugged him, and it was his turn to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry!" he kept saying repeatedly. Kylo hated that he was with the First Order, forced to reveal Rebel bases to keep Padme safe from General Hux.

"Tell me what happened," Padme begged him, as she broke the embrace.

"I can't. I'm too ashamed," Kylo replied.

"Ben, please don't keep this a secret from me. I felt them strip you and beat you up. I felt the needles go into your body, and your fury at Hux."

"Oh Maker!" Kylo cried out in guilt. Padme had felt every part of the torture he went through.

"Please tell me what happened. I won't hate you, Ben."

Padme revealed Kylo's biggest worry. He was afraid she would hate him for what he had done. He did not want to tell her, but he knew she would not give up asking.

"I chased a couple of Stormtroopers from a young Twilek boy. Then a legion of them came. I used the Force to kill them. I went back to where I was staying, packed my bag and left. But I was cornered, and they captured me," he began to explain.

"They stripped me naked and took turns beating me up. Then I was taken to an interrogation room. I was restrained to an inclined apparatus. Then General Hux came in." Padme squeezed Kylo's hand in support.

"He stuck a needle in me. It had some sort of truth serum in it. Every time I lied, shocks went through my body." He bowed his head in shame. Padme took her hand and lifted his head to face her.

"He asked me personal questions. He knows things that I haven't even told you. And now..." Kylo paused, overwhelmed with grief.

"Now what?" Padme asked, doing her best to remain calm.

"Now he knows, Padme. I didn't want to tell him. But he stuck another needle in me. The shocks kept getting stronger. Hux asked me for the name of the person I love. I told him there was no one, but I was shocked with every denial."

"You need to cut off the Force bond," Kylo pleaded with her.

"No," Padme responded firmly.

"Please, Padme. I don't want to lose you!"

"You won't lose me. And I am not cutting off the Force bond. Ben, why did he asked that question?"

"Because he is blackmailing me. He said that if I didn't reveal the bases, he would..." Kylo stopped, trying to get the words out. "He would find you..."

"Rape and kill me," Padme said, finishing his statement. He covered his face and wept.

"I'm so sorry, Padme. I had no choice. If anything happens to you..."

"Ben," she whispered, removing his hands so that she could see his face. "It will be all right."

"How can you say that? Hux knows who you are. Padme, if he hurts you, I will never forgive myself."

"You were forced to make a difficult choice. I understand, Ben. More than you know." Padme remembered how she almost joined Vader on the Dark side to protect her family.

"How? I don't even understand myself. Now, in order to protect you, I have to reveal Rebel bases. This is not fair!"

"I know," she sweetly said, as she stroked his hair. "Tell me where you are, Ben. We will come rescue you."

"No. If you try to rescue me, Hux will know that the Rebels know about me. Then he will come and find you. I'm a dead man, Padme. Either Hux will kill me, or the Rebels will kill me once they find out what I have done."

"Please let us try."

"No. If I am condemned to die, so be it. But you need to live, and not join this fight against Hux and the Order."

"I will be fine. I have been taking lightsaber combat lessons from Luke Skywalker."

Hearing Luke's name made Kylo want to vomit, if he had the strength to do so.

"Please don't go and fight them. I can't lose you..." Kylo pleaded with her.

"Ssh," she whispered, wiping his tears away. Padme smiled at him. He was confused. How could she smile at a time like this?

She knew his thought. Padme moved closer to Kylo, so that her knees were on either side of him. She leaned closer to him.

"I am smiling at the man who loves me," Padme explained, her face glowing. Kylo gave a puzzled look.

"You said Hux asked you for the name of the one you love. You gave him my name," she added, reminding Kylo of his own words.

He managed to smile back at her. He loved Padme, with everything he had. That was why he was doing this, to protect her.

"I did. I love you, Padme," Kylo confessed. "I am sorry, about everything. I will understand if you hate me..."

She placed a finger on his lips to silence him. Then she said the words Kylo had been longing to hear.

"I love you too, Ben." She leaned in and kissed him. It felt good to have Ben's lips on hers.

They began to kiss passionately. Kylo was still weak. So it was Padme who caressed his arms, stroked his hair and touched his cheek. He was definitely enjoying her touching him.

"I'm glad I'm pleasing you," she whispered, her own desire for Ben stirred within her.

"I wish I was strong enough..." Padme silenced Kylo with a kiss.

" I know," she replied wistfully. "If I was only there with you..."

"Why? Then you would be in danger!"

"But we would be together, and we... we would be able to make love." Kylo groaned in pleasure when she said this.

"Ben, hold on for me until that day. I promise, I will find a way to rescue you. Then I will be yours, and you will be mine." Padme laid her head on Ben's chest. He was finally able to wrap his arms around her.

"I will hold on, for you. When this war is over, I will take you to your favorite planet, and we will become lovers," Kylo promised her.

"I like the sound of that." Padme wished that this moment with Ben would not end.

Kylo was correct about the Rebel base being on Sullust. The First Order attacked quickly, and captured the base. It did not take long for Sullust to fall under their control. Once the planet was under his control, Hux demanded Kylo to tell him where the next Rebel base was.

Knowing that Ben was forced to work for the First Order made Padme more determined to join the fight against them. She had wanted to help to protect the galaxy before, but now... Now it was personal. Hux was using a Force Sensitive, the man she loved. It was one thing to want to join the Order. But to be forced into it... It went against everything that she and her family stood for. Since Hux was using Ben for his evil intentions, it was time for the Rebellion to counteract with a Force user of their own. It was time for Padme to walk into her destiny.


	9. Chapter 9

Padme asked her family to meet with her. She had to wait for them because they ran late from the meeting they were in. The Senate refused to declare war on the First Order, despite the fact that they controlled Endor, Sullust and had a strong foothold on Ryloth. It caused the family great frustration.

"Sorry we are late," Leia said, as she sat next to her daughter on the couch. Han sat on the other side, and Luke sat in the recliner.

"The Senate refuses to do anything," Hun grunted in annoyance. "To top it off, Sullust is under the enemy's control." Padme nodded her head in agreement.

"Wait, you knew?" Leia asked. Her daughter was not at the meeting with the different senators from the Outer Rim planets.

"I need to talk to you about what I want to do to help," Padme began, feeling nervous. Then she heard a friendly voice speak to her mind.

"Don't be afraid, Padme." It was Ben! Her heart was full of joy. Despite his circumstances, he was there to support her. He could not hear the conversation between Padme and her family.

"Padme, if you are asking to join the fight against the First Order..." Han began to argue. Padme raised her hand to silence him.

"I do want to join the fight. But not in the way you think," she replied back.

"What do you mean?" her mother questioned her. Luke already knew what Padme was going to say, and he gently smiled at his niece.

"Ben, I have to tell my family about you, what you are forced to do for Hux," Padme said to her love.

"No, Padme! Don't tell them! Hux will kill the both of us!" Kylo begged her. But she ignored his plea and continued.

"This fight against the First Order is not just a physical battle," Padme said. "It is also a psychological and spiritual battle."

Han asked what she meant by this, so Padme told them,

"This is just like the situation with Luke's ex-student. He wants us to be afraid of what he could do to us. But you," she paused, motioning to her family members. "You did not stop fear of this man from pursing a declaration of war against the Order. You continue to live your lives, despite the dangers you face."

"Sweetheart, this guy is probably still out there," Han reminded her.

"I know. But as a wise Jedi once said, 'Fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.' The First Order wants everyone to suffer, especially Force users."

"What do you mean?" Leia asked.

"General Hux has been trying to get a Force sensitive to join the Order, so that he can discover where the Rebel bases are."

Han and Leia were shocked by this, but Luke was not. He knew what Padme had said was true.

"I've heard a few reports about them specifically targeting young Force sensitive kids. But so far, they have not seized one..." Luke said, before pausing. He glanced over at his niece, who gave him a look. He sighed, because he knew he was about to be corrected.

"The First Order has a Force sensitive man in their custody," Padme finally admitted.

"And how do you know this?" Han asked incredulously.

"Through the Force," his daughter responded, as if she was just asked how the weather was outside.

"Why doesn't your mother or Luke know about this?"

"Because we do not have a Force bond with the man. Padme does," Luke told Han.

"How far does this bonding go?" Han was now worried. "I swear, if this guy hurts you..."

"Han, stop!" Padme snapped in frustration. "I am safe. He is the one in danger. He was forced to work for Hux, so that Hux would not harm a person he loves." She was not stupid. She was not going to mention that she was the beloved.

"He was put in a difficult situation," Leia interjected, feeling sympathy for the man. "Are you asking us to go rescue him?"

"No. He fears both he and his beloved will die if the Rebellion tries to rescue him. But there is a way we can minimize the damage the Order will cause."

"How?" both Leia and Han said simultaneously.

"The Rebellion needs a Force sensitive on their side. But instead of the user causing destruction, they can bring healing, peace and freedom. We can have the wounded soldiers healed, so that they can get back out into the battlefield. This way, now it is a fair fight," Padme spoke boldly.

"And this is what you want to do?" Luke asked her.

"Yes, I do." Padme was thankful at least one of them understood.

"Absolutely not!" Han screamed. "You are not endangering your life. Do you know what it is like during a war? You see things that cause you to have nightmares at night!"

"Han, I already have lived through a war, and I survived." Padme stared at him. He knew what she meant, her experience as Vader's prisoner. He grunted internally. Why did his daughter have to be as stubborn as him?

"Luke, can Padme do this?" Leia questioned her brother.

"She is powerful in the Force, especially with healing. There is no doubt in my mind she can do this," he replied, giving Padme a wink.

"She is too young to go into a war zone! Even if she is not on the front lines!" Han scowled in frustration.

Leia rose from the couch and said to Han,

"I need to speak to you privately." She gave him a look. He knew that look all too well. He followed outside to the hallway.

"I know, Padme," Luke assured her. "This is why I agreed to train you with the lightsabers, just in case. But your insight is correct. What you want to do comes from a place of love. I am proud of you."

"I'm glad I have your support," Padme replied. "But my parents, especially Han..."

"Trust in the Force. Your parents will always worry about you, even when you are old and gray. They just want the best for you."

"Luke, if I can't do this, then they don't want what is best for me. What good does it do if I don't use my power to heal people? There is more at stake here..."

Padme's heart began to race. Her body trembled, and she closed her eyes.

"Padme, what's wrong?" Kylo asked her, feeling her fear. But she did not answer him.

"Luke, the fate of the galaxy is in my hands," Padme told her uncle. "And yours, and my parents. If the First Order takes control of the entire galaxy, they will not stop until only those loyal to them survive. It will be mass genocide."

She had her first Force vision, and it was terrifying! She heard Ben speak words of comfort to calm her nerves.

Her parents walked back in the room. Both Luke and Padme rose to their feet.

"Luke, when do you leave for Ryloth?" his sister asked, fighting back tears.

"Early tomorrow morning," Luke responded.

"Then I guess my daughter needs to go to bed early, if she is going to go with you," Han added. Padme's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're letting me go?" she exclaimed, not believing what she heard.

"I still have a bad feeling about this," Han told her. "But you are both a Skywalker and a Solo. Neither backs down from a cause they believe in."

Padme rushed to her father, and gave him the biggest hug. He gently held her, tears streaking down his face. Leia also cried, as she joined the embrace. Luke smiled, knowing somewhere, Anakin was watching this scene with joy.

"Padme, what happened?" Kylo asked, concerned she hadn't said anything to him in a while.

"I will let you know when I see you tonight," she told him, as the embrace was broken. "Right now, I need to say goodbye to my parents."

"Thank you," she said to both Han and Leia. "Since Luke and I are leaving early tomorrow, I guess we should say goodbye tonight.

"Come here, sweetheart," Han said first. Padme gave him a hug. He held her for a long time.

"You will see me again, Dad," she sweetly reminded him.

"Now when you are leaving, you call me Dad!" he teased her, as he pushed back a loose end of her hair. She smiled.

"I love you, Padme." Han kissed her cheek. Her mother came over to her.

"When did my baby girl grow up to be such a smart, determined woman?" Leia wondered, as she stroked Padme's cheek.

"Mom, please take care of Dad," Padme said to her mother's mind. Leia nodded in agreement.

"I love you, honey." Leia hugged her daughter. "You promise you will come back to us, okay?"

"I will, I promise." To both her parents, Padme said,

"I love you. Thank you for letting me do this." She glanced over at Luke, and she knew it was time for bed. "I guess I better go upstairs and pack."

"We will let Chewy know," Leia told her. The Wookiee had been confined to his bed with an illness.

She was about to walk out of the room when Han called out to her.

"Padme?' She turned around to face her family. Han smiled and said to her,

"May the Force be with you, sweetheart."

Padme smiled at them, before leaving the room. She headed upstairs to pack. She slipped into her nightgown and went to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Padme came to the meadow and saw Ben leaning against the tree. She ran to him and embraced him tightly. He did not return the embrace.

"What's wrong?" she asked, gazing at his face. He looked upset.

"Don't go join the Rebellion," Kylo begged her. "It's bad enough that I put you in danger, but for you to put the both of us in danger..."

"I can't just stand by and let the First Order take over the galaxy!"

"Padme, there are other ways to support the cause. Safer ways."

"Ben, I have to do this..."

"No, you don't! I don't want you to die in the war. And don't say you will not die."

"Yes, there is a chance I may die. There is a chance you may die. But if I do not follow the path the Force is showing me, we will both be dead. Along with most of the galaxy. Ben, I saw a vision of what Hux wants to do if he wins this war."

She spoke with such conviction and passion. Kylo admired her. She did truly care for the fate of others, not just herself.

"Ben, I know you can't stop Hux from using you. But I can use my Force powers to help the Rebellion," Padme explained.

"How?" he asked, curious to what her plan was.

"I will not go into details, just in case I ever get captured. Let's just say I will use the power I'm strongest in to overcome evil."

Kylo smiled at her. He knew her special gift was Force healing. He had let her heal him of the bruises he had when the Stormtroopers beat him up.

"So you won't tell?" Kylo teased her, as he touched the side of her face.

"Nope," Padme responded back, excited by his touch. He leaned in and gently kissed her.

"How about now?" he whispered, gazing into those lovely blue eyes of hers. She shook her head no. But that did not stop him from asking, or from kissing her.

"You may kiss me a thousand times, Ben. But I'm still not telling you," Padme scolded him. "We agreed to not push each other, remember?"

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry," Kylo apologized. "I just worry for your safety."

"I will be fine. I will be with many of the Rebellion leaders, including Luke Skywalker. I could not be any more safer except..." She paused, drawing close to him.

"Except what?"

"Except when I am in your arms." Kylo smiled at Padme before kissing her. The kisses were long and deep.

"I wish you were here with me, in my bedroom," Padme admitted.

"So do I," Kylo answered back. "You look beautiful in that nightgown. But you would look even more beautiful out of it."

"Ben!" she teasingly chided him. But Padme felt reassured. He wanted her in every way. She was concerned after his capture that he did not desire her in that way. She had been the one to hold, touch and kiss him.

"But that will have to happen at another time." He took Padme in his arms and held her. The next thing Kylo knew, he was awakened by Stormtroopers.

"General Hux wants to see you," one of them said, as they escorted Kylo out of the cell. He hated every encounter with Hux. Most of the time, they were alone, and he always called him Ben. This angered Kylo. Only one person should call him by that name.

"Leave us!" Hux barked, as Kylo was brought into the room. The Stormtroopers left, closing the door behind them.

"Ben, come have a seat," Hux commanded. Kylo reluctantly sat in the chair next to him. The general seemed unusually chipper today.

"Look at the screen," Hux added, turning the TV on with the remote control. Kylo saw a map of the Outer Rim. There were five planets that had red x's on them.

"What are the x's for?" Kylo asked. Hux grinned and said,

"These are the planets the Order has control of. All because of you, Ben."

"Save it. You know I hate doing this."

"True. But you still do it, to protect your precious Padme..."

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Kylo's fist pounded the table.

"I suggest you calm down, Ben. You do not know why I called you here."

"I know why I'm here, General!"

"Actually, you don't. Tomorrow I will ask you where the base is. But today, you will be moving."

"Moving? To where?"

"To your own private quarters, Ben. You will no longer be locked up like an animal in a cage."

"I could care less. Even if I'm in the fanciest of bedrooms, I am still your prisoner."

"True. But you will be more comfortable. You will have more freedom to explore the ship. And if the day ever comes, that you and Padme are reunited, you can keep her in bed for as long as your want."

"I told you to not mention her name!"

"Tsk, tsk. Here I thought you would be grateful for the change of scenery."

"The only change of scenery I want is to get off this ship and away from you!"

"That is not going to happen, Ben. If you try to escape, you will die. All the Stormtroopers had their weapons redesigned, to capture both Force and non-Force sensitives."

Hux walked over to the door, and opened. He called for the guards.

"Come in," Hux told them. "Escort Kylo Ren to his private quarters." The Stormtroopers took Kylo out of the room.

Meanwhile, Padme was sleeping when she felt a presence. She woke up quickly, then laughed at who was in the room with her.

"Chewy!" she exclaimed, gently scolding the Wookiee. "You scared me! And what are you doing out of bed?"

Chewbacca muttered something. She understood what he was trying to say.

"I'm sorry, Chewy. It happened so fast. Mom was going to tell you for me. Are you feeling better?" He moaned in sadness.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Padme replied back, embracing him. He asked her a question.

"No, I don't need your bowcaster," she responded with a smile on her face. "I'm not going to be fighting in that way. But just in case, I packed both of my grandfather's lightsabers. Now you need to go back to bed and get some rest."

Chewbacca took his furry hand and messed up Padme's hair. She rolled her eyes at him.

"At least you did not do that before I left," she uttered, squeezing his other hand. "Please look after my parents for me."

Chewbacca nodded in agreement. He stood, waved goodbye to her, and left the room. Padme was going to miss him, and her parents. But she knew she was doing the right thing by joining the fight against the First Order.

She quickly got dressed and brought her duffle bag downstairs. Luke was waiting for her in the living room.

"Good morning," he said to his niece. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"I did, until Chewbacca woke up me," she mentioned, rubbing her eye.

"Good old Chewy. I knew he would make sure you didn't leave with saying goodbye. So Padme, are you ready to join the Rebellion?"

"I am," she said, with excitement in her voice. They headed to the hanger. It was bustling with activity, even that early in the morning.

"Where is our ship?" Padme asked. Luke led the way until they came to a familiar Corellian ship.

"Are you serious?" she gasped. It was the Millennium Falcon!

"Your father insisted. He said only the best ship for my daughter," her uncle told her as they boarded.

"But what if he has to leave, to go smuggling?"

"Padme, his smuggling days are over. He is staying with your mom, to look out for her."

"I see." Luke knew her thought and replied,

"If there are meant to reconcile, they will. Their daughter should not try to push them together."

"I just want them to be happy. I know it's hard on them, with me leaving."

"It is. But parents know when it is time for their child to leave home, and venture out into the galaxy. You will make them proud, Padme."

She smiled softly. They sat in the cockpit, she in Chewy's normal seat, and Luke in Han's chair. They both prepared for takeoff. The green light was given to Luke, and he piloted the Falcon out into space.

"Setting course for Ryloth," Luke instructed the ship's computer. Padme took a breath, ready for the adventures the Force had for her.


	11. Chapter 11

Padme and Luke discussed her role in the Rebellion. She would use her Force power to heal the wounded soldiers. She would stay in the camp and wait for them to be brought to her. Luke would fight with the remaining Jedi that were alive, alongside the Rebel soldiers.

They would head to the base later. But first, they had to go to Ryloth, to see if they could find the young Twilek boy that was nearly captured by the Order. Ryloth was under their control, so Luke and Padme had to disguise themselves as bounty hunters, so that they would not be recognized.

"Ben," Padme called out to him in the Force. "I need your help."

"What do you need, my love?" Kylo replied, as he laid down on his new bed.

"Where did you spot the young Twilek boy on Ryloth?"

"In the capital city of Lessu. Wait, Padme..."

"Don't worry about me. Just keep yourself safe. You sound more relaxed today."

"I am. I got an upgrade in my sleeping arraignments. If it wasn't because of Hux, I would say this bedroom is very nice. I got a day's reprieve from revealing the base."

"That is good news. I can't wait to hear about your new living quarters."

"And I can't wait to be with you, Please be careful on Ryloth. The First Order is all over the place there."

"We won't be there long. I need to go back to being the co-pilot. I will see you tonight,"

"Until then, I will be thinking of you."

Luke and Padme landed on Ryloth. He wore a metal mask over his head, and she wore a head scarf that covered everything except for her eyes.

"He said that the boy was being harassed in the main square of Lessu," Padme explained to her uncle, after they left the ship.

"You still haven't told me how you formed the Force bond with this man," Luke said to her.

"And you have not told me about your former student ," Padme replied back. Luke still had not shared the details with her, even though she knew Luke left him to go help rescue her.

"Ok, you win." Luke lifted his hands in surrender. He was not ready to tell Padme the truth. Not after everything she went through with discovering the truth about her family.

"Just promise me you will be careful," he insisted.

"Now you sound just like Dad," she teased him. "One day, I hope to introduce him to the family."

"You love him, don't you?" Padme was taken aback by that question. But she couldn't deny what she felt.

"I didn't sense it via the Force, Padme. I can see it when you talk about him. Your eyes light up," Luke added.

"Is it that obvious?"

"It is. As I said, just be careful. Just like now."

Luke pointed to the square. Twileks were walking around, along with Stormtroopers. Padme's stomach felt sick at the sight of those who captured Ben from this place.

"Stay calm," he reminded her, as they walked through the square. They were stopped by a couple of Stormtroopers.

"Halt! Identify yourselves," one of the soldiers said.

"We are bounty hunters, searching for Force sensitives, to bring to General Hux," Luke explained.

The Stormtrooper asked for their identification, to see if they were truly bounty hunters.

"You do not need to see our identification," Luke calmly told the soldier.

"I do not need to see your identification," the Stormtrooper repeated.

"We can go about our business."

"Go about your business. Move along."

Luke and Padme safely passed the Stormtroopers and headed deeper into the heart of Lessu. As she tried to visualize where the boy was, Luke said to her,

"It's not easy to do a Jedi mind trick."

"Except against Stormtroopers. I know, Luke," she replied, chuckling.

"When did you..."

"The day I was taken prisoner. They were coming up to my room, and I told them no one was upstairs, and to tell Vader that. It worked, but he knew I was still there."

"I see." He gave his niece a wink. "Any luck on finding the boy?"

"Not yet." Padme suddenly stopped. She spotted a brick wall. She went to the corner of it, and touched it with her hand.

"Padme, what is it?"

"The boy is here. But there is no door or window to get inside."

"But there is that," Luke replied, pointing to the sewer cover on the ground. Carefully, he lifted the cover off, and climbed inside. Padme followed him, and put the cover back on before anyone could spot them. It was dark in the sewer, so they ignited their lightsabers for light.

"Stay close," Luke instructed her, as they made their way deeper into the sewer. They turned a corner, and Padme had to deflect a blaster bolt from hitting her uncle. She extended her hand and grabbed the blaster from the would be assailant.

"Come to the light and show yourself. We mean you no harm," Luke called out to the mysterious figure.

It took a moment for the person to emerge. Actually, there were two people. One was a Twilek woman, the other was a young Twilek boy.

"That's him!" Padme told Luke via the Force. "That's the boy that was harassed by the Stormtroopers!"

"You will not take my son to the First Order!" the Twilek woman growled angrily. The little boy hid behind his mother.

"Miss, we are not here to take you or your son to them," Padme assured her.

"Then why are you here?" The mother looked down at her son, to make sure he was okay.

"We are here to rescue you and your son. To get you off of this planet and away from prying eyes," Luke explained to her. The mother held her son tightly to her.

"Why should I believe you? You look like bounty hunters!"

Luke nodded at Padme. Simultaneously, they removed their disguises. The Twilek woman gasped in shock when she saw Luke's face.

"You're Luke Skywalker!" she uttered. "But he did you know we were here?"

"That is a story for another time," Luke told her. "Now we have to get you and your son to safety. We need proof of what the First Order is doing to innocent civilians."

"You want me to testify. I can't. My son, he will be hunted and kidnapped!"

To both Luke and Padme's amazement, they heard the little boy speak to their minds.

"I will testify. The Stormtroopers tried to take me, but a man in black chased them away," the child explained to them.

"Please don't make me do this!" the mother cried in agony. Luke motioned for her to come and speak to him, while Padme approached the boy.

"Hi," he said out loud to her. "What's your name?"

"My name is Padme. And what is your name?" she sweetly asked. She bent down on one knee so that she could talk eye to eye with him.

"Caleb Syndulla."

"Syndulla? Are you related to Cham and Hera Syndulla?"

"Yes. Cham was my great grandfather and Hera was my grandmother. My mommy named me after her daddy. He was a great Jedi."

"I see." Padme knew about the Syndullas, but not about the Jedi Caleb referred to. "Caleb, do you know about the Force?"

"Yes. Mommy told me as soon as I could understand. But she said to keep it a secret, because people would try to take me away. Like the Stormtroopers tried to do." Caleb started crying.

"Don't cry," Padme told him, wiping his tears away. "Luke is a Jedi, just like your grandfather. We are here to rescue you and your mom."

"Are you a Jedi?"

"No. I'm a Light side force user." Luke and Caleb's mom joined Padme and Caleb.

"I'm Herian Syndulla," the Twilek woman introduced herself. "This is my son, Caleb."

"Hi, Caleb," Luke said to the young boy. "I see you are Force sensitive."

"Yes," the little boy replied. "One day, when I grow up, I want to be a great Jedi, just like my grandfather!"

"Caleb, I'm afraid that is not possible," Herian said to her son. He pouted and folded his hands in protest.

"Herian, if he wants to become a Jedi, you cannot stand in his way. He is still young enough to be trained," Luke explained. "But first things first, We need to get you and Caleb off of this planet, and to Hosnian Prime, to testify before the Senate."

The adults began to walk in the direction Luke and Padme came in. Caleb did not move. Padme turned around and motioned for him to come.

"No. Not that way. Stormtroopers are there," he insisted. Everyone turned to face him.

"Are you sure?" Padme asked him.

"Yes. We need to go this way." He pointed to his left. "The Force is saying to go this way."

"Then by all means young man, lead the way," Luke said to him. Caleb led the adults out of the sewer system. As they walked back to the Millenium Falcon, Padme said to her uncle,

"Truly wonderful is the mind of a child." Luke smiled, remembering that Master Yoda had said the same thing years ago, during his training.


	12. Chapter 12

Luke contacted his sister via a private connection. Leia was surprised to hear from him.

"Is everything all right? How is Padme?" she asked, full of concern.

"Everything is fine, little sis. We were able to find the young Twilek boy that was almost kidnapped by the Order. Both he and his mom agreed to testify before the Senate about what happened."

"That's wonderful news! So you are coming back to Hosnian Prime."

"No. That's the reason why I reached out to you. Padme and I will have to go to the Rebel Base on Lothal. I need someone who can escort them safely back to Hosnian Prime. Is there anyone you can think of that would be willing to do this?"

"What are their names?" Leia innocently asked.

"The boy is Caleb Syndulla, and his mother is Herian Syndulla," Luke replied. Leia gasped when she heard their last name. She knew exactly who she would contact.

"Luke, let me contact the person I have in mind. I'm sure he will be willing to meet you at Lothal and bring them here. I will call you back in a few minutes."

Luke made his way back to the captain's seat. Herian and Caleb were asleep in their quarters. Padme was nodding off in her chair.

"Go to bed," Luke whispered to her. Padme was too tired to argue. She said goodnight and made her way to her bed. She quickly drifted to sleep.

She met Ben in their meadow. They kissed and embraced. He playfully twirled a loose strand of her hair.

"Ben, we have him!" Padme said excitedly.

"Him? Who?" Kylo asked curiously. Padme did not need to respond. He saw with his own eyes the young Twilek boy from a few days ago approach him. He broke from Padme's embrace and knelt down to talk to the boy.

"Hello there," Kylo said, his eyes getting misty. "Nice to meet you again, without those nasty Stormtroopers around!"

Caleb laughed when he said this. He finally got to see who helped him escape.

"Hi, I'm Caleb. What's your name?" the little boy said, offering his hand.

"My name is Ben Kenobi."

"Hi, Ben Kenobi." They shook hands. Kylo was relieved. He had worried that Caleb was captured by the Order.

"Thank you for helping me escape." Caleb gave Ben an unexpected hug. He wrapped his arms around the boy.

Blocking Padme from hearing their thoughts, Caleb said to Kylo,

"There is still good in you, Ben. Don't be a prisoner to the Dark side."

That was when Kylo's tears fell. He looked at Caleb and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Padme sighed at the sight of them.

"You need to go now," she told Caleb. "Tomorrow we arrive at Lothal, and you and your mom will be leaving once your ride comes."

Kylo's face went pale, but he managed to smile and wave as Caleb left their presence. As soon as he disappeared, he grabbed Padme's arm.

"Don't go to Lothal," he warned her. "There's a Rebel base there. Once morning comes, I will have to tell Hux. We can't endanger Caleb or his mother."

"I need to tell Luke. He has someone meeting us there, and they are going to bring them to Hosnian Prime," Padme responded, as she read her uncle's thoughts.

Kylo hated hearing Skywalkers' name, but refused to show his disgust for him in front of Padme.

"Have the person taking Caleb and his mom to Hosnian Prime meet you on Lothal's moon. That way, they will not be subjected to the battle that is about to happen."

Padme nodded her head in agreement. Kylo sighed sadly. She asked him what was wrong.

"I wish I could convince you to go back to Hosnian Prime," he told her, as he kissed her forehead. "Dangerous times are ahead of us, Padme."

"But wonderful times are ahead of us, as well," she whispered back, before they kissed. They had to part. She went to tell Luke about taking Caleb and Herian to Lothal's moon. He was awakened by a Stormtrooper for his daily briefing with Hux.

Padme told Luke about her conversation with Ben. Luke agreed. Instead of meeting on the planet, they would meet on Lothal's moon.

The man that was going to accompany Caleb and Herian boarded the Millennium Falcon. He was around Luke's age, with black hair and blue eyes.

"Master Skywalker! What an honor it is to finally meet you!" the man said to Luke.

"Please, you can call me Luke," he insisted. "Padme, have them come to meet their ride to Hosnian Prime."

Padme brought the Syndullas before the dark haired man. When Herian saw who it was, she gasped in shock. Tears immediately formed in her eyes.

"Hello, Herian," the man spoke softly to her. She ran into his arms and embraced him. Nothing was said for a few moments.

"May I see him?" the man finally asked, as the embrace was broken. Herian called Caleb to her side. They boy looked up at the man.

"Hello, Caleb. I'm Ezra Bridger," the man said to the boy. "I was very close to both of your grandparents. I heard you almost got caught by the First Order." Caleb could only nod his head.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to take you and your mom to Hosnian Prime," Ezra added. Herian was overcome with emotion. Padme wrapped her arm around her for support.

"Can you tell me stories along the way?" Caleb asked. All the adults wondered why he asked this. They understood when he added,

"Stories about my grandfather? Since you were his padawan?" Ezra's eyes widened, then teared up.

"Of course I will," he promised, tightly embracing the boy. Within a few minutes, Ezra, Herian and Caleb boarded the Ghost and flew away.

"The Force does work in mysterious ways, doesn't it?" Luke said to Padme, as they made their way back to their seats.

"You knew about Ezra and his ties to the Syndulla family," Padme guessed.

"Actually, I didn't. It was your mom who knew the connection. She met both Ezra and Caleb's grandfather, Kanan Jarrus, years ago. In fact, I think she was younger than you at that time."

"So how is Caleb named after his grandfather?"

"Kanan Jarrus was born Caleb Dume."

"I see. How did Ezra survive, if he is a Jedi?"

"I will let him tell you that story."

The Millennium Falcon lifted off of Lothal's moon, and made its way towards the planet.

"We will land and head to Tarkintown. If your Force bond friend is correct, the First Order will come quickly to attack. Are you ready to heal the wounded soldiers?" Luke asked his niece.

"I am," Padme replied. They arrived on Lothal. They exited the ship, and found a speeder big enough for both of them. They rode off towards Tarkintown.

Kylo was in his bedroom. He was worried for Padme. The fact that she was near the battlefield and he wasn't drove him crazy. He had asked Hux if he could join in the fight, but Hux refused. Kylo was too valuable to Hux to risk his life fighting. All Kylo could do was watch the Holonet, think of Padme and figure how he could take revenge against the Skywalker family.

It frustrated Kylo that Luke Skywalker was fighting against the Order, while he was trapped as Hux's prisoner. If he could only get off the ship and seek his revenge!

But he held himself back. First, if he tried to escape, he would be killed, per Hux's instructions. Second, he knew Padme was with Luke. She would never forgive him if he did anything to Luke. No, Padme could not be around when Kylo kills his former master. She needed to be far away. far enough that she would not sense the death of Luke Skywalker.

Kylo felt comforted in the fact that he told Padme first about the base in Tarkintown. She promised she would contact him as soon as she could. The hours dragged by, but finally he heard Padme call out his name.

"Padme. are you okay?" Kylo cried out in the Force.

"I'm tired, but okay. We did it! The base did not fall into the Order's hands!" she told him

"Thank the Maker! How was it?"

"Hard, Ben. Some of the Rebels didn't survive. But the rest who were injured, I was able to heal, so that they could go back into the battle. Please do not say anything about this to Hux."

"Only if he sticks me with truth serum will I say anything. I am happy for you, and for the Rebellion."


	13. Chapter 13

The fighting between the Rebellion and the First Order waged on. Sometimes the Order was victorious, other times, the Rebels won. Padme and Kylo kept busy, since they were on opposite sides of the war. They made sure to make time to see each other in their dreams.

Leia, Han and Chewbacca were still in Hosnian Prime, desperately trying to get the Senate to vote for declaring war on the First Order. The Outer Rim planets, with the exception of Mandalore, formed a faction within the Senate. Their plan was to delay any new laws being passed until the Senate took a vote for war. Things were not progressing as quickly as the Rebels hoped for.

As Padme retired for the evening, she marveled at the time. It had been exactly a year since she met and made the Force bond with Ben. She wondered if he would remember, as she drifted off to sleep.

"Hello there, beautiful," Kylo called out to Padme, as he approached her. He kissed her deeply and embraced her tightly.

"Happy anniversary," he whispered in her ear.

"You remembered!" Padme teared up. Kylo gazed at her and said,

"Of course I remember the day I met the most beautiful woman in the galaxy."

"Oh Ben!" Padme sighed sadly. "I wish you were here with me. Sometimes I lie in bed at night, and the loneliness overwhelms me."

"I know. I feel the same way," Kylo confessed, stroking her hair. "I want to be able to touch you for real, not just in a dream.

"One day, my love, we will meet. Then we will never be apart from each other."

"That day cannot come fast enough. Speaking of that day, you never told me what your favorite planet is."

"Naboo," Padme whispered in Kylo's ear. "I want to go to Naboo, and I want you to make love to me there." They began to kiss passionately, but Kylo pulled away.

"This is not Naboo, my love," he reminded her. Padme pouted, but understood. Ben wanted their first time together to be special.

"Grr, I know. But I'm sick of taking cold showers," she confessed. He laughed at her comment. "Oh, don't tell me you don't do the same!"

"You're right, I do. But most of the time, it doesn't work. Because I imagine you in the shower with me," Kylo said in a sexy voice. They kissed for a little while before they had to part.

After the latest victory for the Rebels, Luke and Padme were on the Millennium Falcon when a video call came on the screen. To her delight, it was Padme's parents.

"Hi sweetheart!" both Han and Leia said simultaneously.

"Hi," Padme replied. Although she loved helping fight against the First Order, she did miss her family. "Where's Chewy?"

"He's playing with Caleb," Han said gruffly. "That Wookiee is too soft for his own good!"

"Your father is mad that Chewy's spending more time with Caleb than with him," Leia teased.

"I am not jealous of a little kid!"

"Anyway, we called to update you on the latest news from the Senate. We have all of the Outer Rim, except for Mandalore, willing to fight against the First Order. We are gaining support from the Mid Rim, and even a couple of Core World planets said they would be willing to send troops. But the rest of the Senate refused to consider the motion for declaring war. We need your help," Leia explained.

"How can we help?" Luke asked, sensing where the conversation was going.

"Many of the senators would be more willing to consider the motion if all of the Outer Rim plants were united against the Order," Han interjected.

"So you want us to go to Mandalore?" Padme asked. The planet had issues of its own, without any outside influence.

"We can't," Luke stated. "We have to go to Polis Masso, and meet with the Jedi."

"Please reconsider. We need Mandalore to join the fight," Leia begged, trying to reason with her brother.

"Leia, you do not understand the history and culture of the Mandalorians. They have no love for the Order, but they can't stand the Jedi. Besides, I do not want what happened the last time I was there to occur again." Luke was referring to fleeing with Ben's mother.

"Then I will go to Mandalore," Padme volunteered.

"It is too dangerous for you to go by yourself," her uncle told her. "You do not understand their ways."

"I agree," Han said. "But we figured Luke would not want to go, so..."

"So what? What are you not telling me?"

"So we sent someone to go with Padme to Mandalore," Leia explained. "He is very familiar with the Mandalorian people. In fact, I think he is trying to contact you now."

Padme saw the call light blink on her screen. She put in her earpiece and answered the call.

"Hello?" she said to the person on the other line. She did not want to give away the surprise to Luke. But Padme knew before she picked up the call who the person was.

"Millennium Falcon, this is the Ghost," the kind voice of Ezra Bridger spoke into her ear. She mouthed to Luke that it was Ezra calling.

"Ghost, we hear you loud and clear," Padme responded.

"It's nice to hear your voice again, Padme. Is Luke there, or did he storm away in anger?"

"He is here." Luke put on his head set. The video call was still on.

"Ezra, please tell me this was your idea," Luke grunted, not wanting to yell at his sister for this.

"If I did, you would know I was lying. But it is a good idea. We need Mandalore to join the fight."

Luke looked at the video call, then glanced at Padme. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He had a hard enough time dealing with the guilt of Ben turning to the Dark side.

"Ezra can go alone," Luke replied, wanting to protect his niece.

"No, he can't," Padme argued. "A good soldier does not go into battle alone. Isn't that what you tell the Jedi, Luke?"

Her uncle scowled. Padme used his own words against him. She was too smart for her own good.

"Luke," Leia called out to him, when he did not respond.

"Ezra, do you think you can get the Mandalorians to join us?" Luke finally replied. There were big smiles on the faces of his family members.

"Yes, I believe we can," Ezra said.

"Please be careful then." Luke gazed lovingly at Padme. "You will be taking someone precious to me with you." She reached and squeezed his hand, to reassure him that she would be fine. It didn't make it any easier for Luke to let her go a few hours later.

"May the Force be with both of you," he said to Ezra and Padme, before they boarded the Ghost and flew to Mandalore. Luke headed to Polis Masso, to meet with the Jedi.


	14. Chapter 14

Kylo sat in a private briefing with General Hux. The guilt of revealing the Rebel bases was beginning to weigh down on him. Now it was a tossup who he hated more, Hux or Luke Skywalker.

"Ben, take a look at the screen," Hux commanded him. A snowy planet appeared. Kylo was confused by the image.

"It's a snowy planet," he growled in annoyance.

"To the untrained eye, yes. But.." Hux paused dramatically, as he clicked to the next image. "To the Order, this is Starkiller Base. This weapon is going to bring the galaxy to its knees."

"It look like another Death Star."

"No, Ben. Starkiller Base is better than the Death Star. It can destroy multiple planets. Look at the simulation."

Kylo watched in horror as the simulation of an entire system was destroyed on the screen.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hux evilly grinned, proud of all the hard work put into the super weapon. "This was Emperor Vader's final project, and he would be proud of what we have accomplished."

"There is no 'we' here, General," Kylo snapped.

"Remember, you are part of the First Order, whether you like it or not. Once it is complete, we will hit a couple of preliminary targets before using it against an entire system."

"Since you have this weapon, I guess you no longer need me," Kylo spoke bravely, but secretly feared he was going to die.

"Of course I need you, Ben. You are the only Force sensitive in the Order. You are the only one that can figure out where the Rebel bases are. Besides, we can't destroy every planet," Hux told him. "As long as you keep revealing the bases, you and your precious Padme will be safe." 

"I told you to not mention her name!" Kylo's anger flowed through his body. If he had his lightsaber, he would kill Hux.

"I hope this girl is worth all the trouble," Hux told him, feigning concern. "You're still young. There are many girls out there that would be willing to sleep with you."

"I don't use women like you do."

"They are a means to an end, Ben. The sooner you realize this, the better you will be. You know it's never going to work out between you and Padme. How can she love a man who commits treason?'

The psychological torture Hux was putting Kylo through ate him up inside. Thankfully, Hux was not Force sensitive. Otherwise, he would know that Padme already knew what Kylo was doing for the Order.

"Anyway, getting back to business. Ben, where is the new base located?" Hux asked, an evil look in his eyes. Kylo gave him the location, and the general told him to leave his presence. Kylo rushed to his quarters, and slammed the door in disgust. He threw off his helmet and flopped onto the bed.

"I need to find a way to stop this weapon from firing," Kylo thought to himself. "There has to be a weak spot, just like the Death Star. I need to find the weakness and let the Rebels know. Hux is lying. He will use it on the entire galaxy!"

Meanwhile, Padme and Ezra were on Mandalore, heading to the capital city of Sundari. Years of infighting amongst the clans devastated the planet. The people were forced to live in bio-dome cities. Tatooine looked like a lush filled paradise compared to Mandalore!

"What is the matter, Padme? You looked worried," Ezra asked.

"I am, Ezra. Something is not right. We have not met a soul since we got off the ship. And now, we are just going to walk into Sundari?" Padme replied nervously.

"If you are asking if we are being followed, the answer is yes." Padme swallowed her throat when she heard this.

"Remember, trust in the Force," he calmly reminded her. "If they wanted to kill us, they would have already done so."

"I wish I could be as sure as you."

Just as they were about to approach the entrance to the city, they were surrounded by a group of commandos. Padme went to grab a lightsaber out of her bag, but Ezra spoke to her mind to not pull out the weapon.

The commandos pointed their weapons at Ezra and Padme, and led them into Sundari. Padme was amazed at the bustling city that was inside the dome. But she was concerned. The commandos lead them to a darkened street corner.

The head commando pointed to the corner. The others nudged Ezra and Padme with their weapons. They had no choice but to go and lean against the wall of the building.

"You have some nerve, showing up here unannounced," the head commando yelled at Ezra.

"I'm sorry. I have been a little busy later, spending time with my former master's daughter and grandson," Ezra replied.

When he said this, Padme noticed that the head commando stepped back, and tilted their head.

"Leave us!" the leader said, waving their hand. As soon as the other commandos disappeared from sight, the head commando took off their helmet.

The commando was a woman, around Ezra's age. Her eyes were full of tears, waiting to fall. Before Padme could warn him not to, Ezra approached the commando and embraced her. Padme was confused , to say the least. Ezra broke the embrace and motioned for Padme to join them.

"Padme, I would like you to meet Sabine Wren, of House Viszla," Ezra said, as he introduced the two women.

"Hello. Sorry if we scared you," Sabine explained. Padme could only nod her head. To Ezra, Sabine asked why they were here on Mandalore.

"Sabine, we are here to speak to the Prime Minister. We need Mandalore to join the coalition of Outer Rim planets opposing the First Order."

"We are sick of wars from outsiders. We have enough wars to deal with internally."

"If Mandalore does not join the fight, then all of the Outer Rim will fall. Mandalore will not be spared if it remains neutral," Padme chimed in.

"I know. I saw the devastation the Empire committed. But it will be a hard sell. There is only one thing that can unite all Mandalorians."

"Sabine, you can wield the Darksaber. You did it before," Ezra insisted.

"No, Ezra. I only had it until we found our leader, Bo-Katan Kryze. She was a great leader until the Empire came and killed her entire family. I cannot possess the Darksaber."

Sabine led them to the royal palace. Padme couldn't help but marvel at it. When she was a little girl, she had dreamt of being a queen in a castle, but nothing compared to what she saw. Beautiful pieces of artwork hung all around, visually telling the history of the Mandalorian people.

"I see you like our artwork," Sabine said to Padme, managing a smile.

"It's amazing," the young woman gasped in awe. "You can see the history and the culture, from just the paintings." Sabine explained the different people in the paintings, including Dutchess Satine and her family.

They approached a meeting hall. Sabine knocked on the door. A commando guard opened it.

"My friends and I seek an audience with the Prime Minister," Sabine said to the guard. He waved his hand, indicating for them to enter. The door closed behind them.

"I know why you have come," a strange female voice called out to them. The woman approached them. She had fiery red hair and blue eyes.

"Prime Minister..." Sabine began to say. But the woman raised her hand to silence her.

"Sabine Wren, you changed my diapers, and yet you insist on calling me Prime Minister," the woman replied, a smile on her face.

"Flora, we need to take a stand against the First Order. They keep attacking the Outer Rim planets. It will not be long until Mandalore is seized!"

"Sabine, it's not that I don't agree with you. But House Saxon remains loyal to the Order. If I side with the Rebels, they will not stop until the rest of the clans are destroyed."

"No disrespect to you, Prime Minister," Ezra spoke up. "But if Mandalore does not join the fight, the Order will destroy the planet."

"In my heart of hearts, what you are saying is true. But my people are tired of fighting. They will only unite to whoever is worthy to possess the Darksaber. We have not found that person yet."

Flora brought them to the dining area. They sat with other politicians, including members of House Saxon. Of course, the conversation was about Mandalorian politics.

"Padme, where are you?" Kylo's voice called out to her.

"In the royal palace on Sundari, listening to politicians argue," she replied, wishing she was somewhere else.

"Sundari? As in Sundari, the capital city of Mandalore?" he gasped in shock. Padme was there, on the planet where both of his parents were born!

"Ben, you sound shocked..."

"You don't understand. My parents, they were Mandalorians!"


	15. Chapter 15

It took a moment for Padme to process what Ben had revealed to her. He was Mandalorian! No wonder he was fiercely protective of her!

"When we see each other again, I want you to tell me everything about Mandalore," Kylo pleaded with her.

"I promise. Why didn't you tell me before you were Mandalorian?" Padme asked.

Kylo paused. He did not want to tell her the real reason, that he found out from the jealous Jedi students that he killed. Instead, he replied,

"I was afraid you would reject me. Mandalorians are proud, fierce warriors. I didn't want to lose you."

"Oh Ben! You should not be ashamed of who you are. Did you judge me from growing up on Tatooine?"

"Of course not. You're my desert rose. I am sorry that I did not tell you earlier."

"Ben, I am curious about something that the Mandalorians keep mentioning. What is the Darksaber?"

Kylo explained the history of the Darksaber. It was created over a thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the only Mandalorian Jedi at that time. The Jedi had kept in at their temple until the Mandalorians took the weapon back.

"They keep saying that their people will only unit under the leadership of the one who wields the Darksaber. How does one possess it?" Padme questioned Ben.

"The person would have to subdue or kill the previous possessor of the weapon in order to wield it," Ben told her.

After lunch, the Prime Minister, whose name for Flora Rau, gave Ezra, Sabine and Padme a tour of the palace. The last stop they made was at the royal throne room. Padme looked around and saw a glass case, with a weapon inside.

"Is this the Dark Saber?" she asked Flora.

"Yes, it is," Flora replied. "Whoever possesses the Darksaber will unite all of Mandalore. We have not found the person worthy to possess it yet."

"Who was the previous possessor of the Darksaber?" Ezra asked, thinking it was Bo-Katan, or another member of her family.

Padme stared at the glass case. The weapon was calling out. It was calling out to her!

"The last person to possess the Darksaber was Emperor Vader," Flora stated.

When she heard Vader's name, Padme extended her hand towards the encased lightsaber. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, and the Darksaber went flying. Three out of the four people in the room ducked for cover. Padme was the only one that did not fall down.

"Are you okay?" Ezra asked Sabine and Flora. They both nodded. He went to ask the same question to Padme, but dropped his mouth in shock by what he saw. Sabine and Flora were also surprised.

Padme stood strong, surprised herself, but not afraid. With both hands, she turned on the Darksaber. There was silence in the room.

"You have the Darksaber!" Flora finally exclaimed.

"You can unite Mandalore!" Sabine uttered breathlessly.

"You subdued Darth Vader?" Ezra asked in disbelief.

"It was calling to me," Padme said. "I know that a Mandalorian is suppose to have it..."

"Tell that to Vader and Maul," Sabine grumbled, remembering with disdain both deceased Dark siders.

"Again, you subdued Vader?" Ezra asked again.

"I don't want to talk about it," Padme growled. She could not tell them about her connection to the late Emperor. Ezra decided to drop the matter for the moment.

"Will Mandalore join the fight against the First Order if I ask them to?' Padme nervously asked.

"Padme, they will follow you to the death. In fact," Sabine said, glancing over at Flora. She nodded, and the two women knelt before Padme.

"We will follow you," both women exclaimed at the same time. Ezra could only shake his head in amazement. Padme's eyes widened. The realization of what just happened dawned on her.

"May I have a few minutes to myself?" Padme asked Flora.

"Of course. You are Mand'alor now," Flora responded. "You will need to address our people, to rise up and fight against the Order. I will let the houses know. Tomorrow, you will address the people from the royal balcony."

Flora and Sabine rose from their knees and left the throne room. Ezra, still shocked over what had occurred, looked at Padme and said, before leaving himself,

"You will have your privacy. But I still want my question answered."

Padme turned off the Darksaber and called out to Ben.

"Ben, I have something good to tell you!" she squeaked with excitement. He didn't answer her.

"Ben? Is everything okay?" Padme asked, now worried. Kylo finally said to her,

"I meant to tell you earlier, but I got excited when I heard you were on Mandalore. Padme, Hux is overseeing construction of a super weapon. He calls it Starkiller Base," he solemnly explained to her.

"So it's another Death Star?"

"No, it's worse. This weapon can destroy an entire system. He showed me a simulation of it. It was horrible!"

"Is there a flaw in it, like the Death Star had?"

"Probably, but I haven't found it yet. I will do my best to find it and let you know. So what is the good news you have to tell me?"

Now it was Padme's turn to not respond. She was thinking about Starkiller Base. If the weapon became operational, then the First Order could destroy the galaxy with it!

"Padme?" Kylo called out to her. She remembered the Darksaber, still in her hands.

"Ben, I have it," she whispered.

"Have what?"

"The Darksaber."

"WHAT?" Kylo cried out in disbelief. "But how..."

"It called out to me, and I reached for it and grabbed it. Everyone else was scared, but I wasn't. Ben, I am going to speak to your people tomorrow and ask them to join the Rebellion."

Kylo swallowed nervously. The Mandalorians would definitely follow Padme, since she now wielded the Darksaber. But if Hux found out about this, she could be in danger.

"Promise me that you will stay only until you make your speech," Kylo begged her. "I will not say anything, but if Hux finds out about this..."

"I know," Padme responded. "I wish I could speak today, but the Prime Minister said she has to let all the houses know."

"So once you make you speech..."

"My comrade and I will leave the planet."

"I am relieved to hear you say that."

"Ben, I wish you were here. This saber should really be possessed by a Mandalorian."

"Padme, can you do me a favor? I would like to hold the Darksaber. Can you turn it on, and hold out your hand? I will put my hand on tops of yours, so don't be frightened."

Padme extended her hand, and turned on the weapon. A second later, she felt Ben's hand cover hers. She could feel his joy and pain.

"There is a lot of history with this saber," Kylo whispered to Padme. "And now, my love, you are a part of it."

"This weapon is not mine to keep," Padme told him. "If you were here, I would gladly give it to you."

"You are sweet. But I am not worthy to wield the Darksaber. But you know someone who is, even though they do not want to possess it again."

Padme knew he was referring to Sabine. She turned off the Darksaber and said to Ben,

"I need to get going. Until tonight, my love." She felt Kylo squeeze her hand.

"I will see you tonight," he whispered, before his voice faded.

Kylo marveled at what happened. His smart, beautiful Padme possessed the Darksaber. She could have demanded Mandalore to follow her. But she didn't. She did not want to rule over Mandalore. She wanted one of his own people to be Mand'lor. For Padme to even suggest that he should have the Darksaber was an undeserved honor.

"She truly loves me." Kylo thought to himself. "She loves my people, as well. She's not like Maul, wanting to rule with an iron fist."

His thoughts were interrupted by a Stormtrooper.

"Kylo Ren, your presence is requested in the conference room," the Stormtrooper told him. "The General is having a special meeting. We are all required to attend."

"Great," Kylo groaned to himself, as the soldier escorted him out of his private quarters and to the conference room.


	16. Chapter 16

Dinner was being served before the conference, so this particular meeting was going to be a long one. Since Kylo did not want anyone to know what he looked like, he ate his dinner in the kitchen, after the cooks had finished preparing the food.

He finished dinner quickly, and took a seat in the conference room. Everyone that was on the Finalizer was there.

Hux cleared his throat and began to speak about the victories the Order had against the Rebels. Kylo smirked, noticing that Hux failed to mention the defeats. He was bored of hearing Hux talk until he mentioned Starkiller Base.

Kylo sat straight up in his chair. He was hoping Hux would tell the rest about the weapon. Which of course he did.

"My comrades, I would like to announce that Starkiller Base is fully operational!" Hux declared triumphantly.

All but two people in the conference room cheered. One was the speaker, the other was Kylo. He felt sick to his stomach. Hux knew when he told Kylo earlier about the weapon that it was operational. Hux knew, Kylo assumed, that his prisoner would try to figure out a way to destroy it.

"Now it is time to test it out," Hux said. "We will shoot a low grade of radiation to a secret location. Anyone who is there will not die, at least, not immediately."

Kylo began to search Hux's mind. If it was Mandalore, there would be no way for Padme and her friend to escape. To his relief, it was not Mandalore. It was Polis Masso! Kylo remembered that place. It was where his former master was born.

"Luke," Kylo uttered softly to himself. As Hux gave the command to fire the weapon, Ren realized in horror that Luke was on Polis Masso, along with the rest of the Jedi.

"GET OFF OF POLIS MASSO NOW!" Kylo silently screamed in the Force, hoping someone would hear him. But it was too late. The weapon had fired. It did not destroy Polis Masso, but as Hux explained later, whoever was there would die within a year from the exposure to the radiation.

The tears formed quickly in Kylo's eyes. Luke Skywalker, his former master, would eventually die, along with the rest of the Jedi. Kylo's wish had finally come true. Now he regretted hating Luke and the Jedi. What Hux did was pure evil, attacking them when they were not in combat. There was no honor in this man.

Ren fled the conference room and made his way back to his quarters. Now it was critical to find the weakness in this weapon. Who knows what planet Hux would target next?

He was about to research the Holonet when he heard a voice call out to him. It wasn't Padme, but it was a voice very familiar to him. A voice he swore he would never speak to until the day he exacted his revenge. But the day had come, not by Kylo's wishes, but by the First Order.

"BEN!" he heard Luke Skywalker call out to him. "You're alive!"

"I am," Kylo uttered, trying to be tough.

"Why did you say to get off Polis Masso?" Luke asked him.

"The First Order has a super weapon, called Starkiller Base. Hux fired the weapon there," Kylo explained.

Luke was silent. He and the rest of the Jedi had heard a loud explosion when they were meeting outside. He was curious as to why Ben would contact him after over a year of silence to warn him.

"The radiation blast will make everyone exposed to it die within a year of exposure," Kylo quivered, trying to remain calm.

"Thank you, Ben, for trying to warn us," Luke replied warmly. Kylo was taken aback by what Luke said. After all the evil things he had done, and Luke was thanking him? Kylo could no longer hold back the tears.

"Ben, neither one of us can erase the past. The mistakes we've made, the lives we've taken," Luke told him, sensing his former student was troubled. "But every day is a new day, to do the right thing. To love and not to hate, to protect and not to destroy. I forgive you Ben, and I love you.

"I don't deserve it! Not after what I have done. I'm part of this evil organization, forced to take lives, to protect the one I love," Kylo argued. He did not want to tell Luke about Padme. He would tell her everything, and she would never speak to him again.

"You cannot be afraid to lose the one that you love. Your fear and anger has led you to the Dark side. But there is still good in you, Ben. It's not too late..."

"It is for me. But I will do my best to try and find a way to destroy Starkiller Base," Kylo vowed. "The First Order must not be permitted to take control of the galaxy. I must go now."

"Ben, remember what I said. I forgive you, and I love you," Luke whispered before the Force connection was dropped. Kylo was so drained emotionally, he took off his mask and fell asleep quickly.

He fretted telling Padme about what happened at Polis Masso. He knew she admired Luke. She was going to be devastated when she heard the news. Kylo was barely keeping it together himself.

Padme finally joined him, taking his hand. No words were exchanged for a few moments.

"I am so sorry," Kylo finally spoke, his voice shaky. "I tried to warn them, but it was too late..." Padme embraced him. She had felt Ben's anguish when the weapon was fired. She knew Luke and the rest of the Jedi were on Polis Masso. But she did not know Ben was Luke's former student, who turned to the Dark Side, murdered his fellow Jedi, killed Vanee, and terrorized her family.

"How long do they have?" Padme tearfully asked, as she pulled away from the embrace.

"They will be dead within a year." Padme closed her eyes. This was truly a nightmare! She had lost her grandfather over a year ago, and by this time next year, Luke would also be dead. She tried to remain calm, because she knew Ben was also upset.

"Don't try to be brave," Kylo insisted, as his hands held her face. "Not tonight. You will need all of your courage tomorrow when you speak to Mandalore."

Padme shook her head, trying to not be upset. But the tears came quickly, and then she sobbed. Kylo tightly embraced her, giving her a kiss on the forehead. They held each other until it was time for them to wake up.

Padme was awakened by a knock on the door. She made herself presentable and opened the door. Ezra was standing outside.

"Good morning," he said, as he entered the room. "Everyone is still sleeping, but I figured you would be up." Ezra looked at Padme and saw her reddened, tear streaked face.

"Ezra, did you feel it, the attack on Polis Masso?" Padme asked.

"I did," he admitted. "I was not sure if you did, too. I'm sorry, Padme. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. Nor does Luke want you to worry."

"How can I not worry?" she screamed in anger. "Do you know what that weapon did?"

Ezra took her hand and squeezed it. He felt compassion for Padme. She had to deal with so much in her young life.

"Yes. Luke told me what the informant told him. Come, let's sit." They sat down on a couple of chairs.

"He hasn't even tried to contact me!" Padme moaned. "I called out to him so many times!"

"He didn't respond because he knows what you need to do today."

"I can't speak to Mandalore. Not with Luke..." She buried her head in her hands.

"Look at me, Padme," Ezra told her. She slowly lifted her head to face him. "You must address Mandalore, and have them join the Rebels. Who knows what planets or systems the Order will target next? Hux wants to continue Vader's dream, to have the galaxy quake in fear of him. You cannot let fear of losing Luke, or anyone for that matter, stop you from fulfilling your destiny."

"But..." she tried to argue. But he raised his hand to silence her.

"Nothing is by coincidence. You were drawn to the Darksaber. Which means, even though you still have not told me how, you subdued Darth Vader. You are the only one that can get the Mandalorians to join the fight. If you do not do this, then the Order will destroy the Outer Rim, and eventually rule over the galaxy. You know this is true."

Ezra took Padme's hand in his, and added,

"Do not let the eventual passing of the Jedi deter you from doing what the Force has called you to do."

Padme sighed in resignation. Ezra was right. She had to do this. She recalled what Anikin and Obi Wan had told her before she left Mustafar.

They heard a knock on the door. Sabine stuck her head inside. She could tell Padme was upset, but she kept the news to herself.

"The Prime Minister was us to eat breakfast before Padme gives her speech," she said to Ezra and Padme.

"Go," Padme told Ezra. "I need to get dressed. But I will be there." He squeezed her hand again before leaving with Sabine. Padme got dressed and called out to Ben.

"Ezra is right," Kylo told her. "You must speak to the Mandalorians. The Senate will see that the Outer Rim takes this threat seriously, and they will vote to declare war. You can do it, Padme. I believe in you. Everyone believes in you. But you need to believe in yourself, and you need to trust the Force."

"Ben, please try to be there with me when I make my speech," Padme asked.

"My dear desert rose, my heart is always with you. Even if my body is not." She felt his hand touch her face before he kissed her. "Go get dressed and have breakfast." They said their goodbyes, and Padme wished Ben was there with her.


	17. Chapter 17

Padme arrived at breakfast moments later. She was nervous. She never spoke in front of this many people before.

"Padme, I was just sharing with Ezra and Sabine that after you make your speech, we will have ships available, for anyone who wishes to leave Mandalore," Flora explained. "I am concerned about my people's safety, especially after what Ezra told me about this Starkiller Base."

"I wish we had enough ships to evacuate the entire planet," Sabine groaned.

"You know there are those who will never leave Mandalore, even under threat of destruction. But I want to make sure that as many of those that want to leave can."

"Flora, I beg of you. Please reconsider your decision to stay. We need you to testify before the Senate," Ezra begged the Prime Minister.

"No. I made a promise to always defend Mandalore. I am Fen Rau's daughter, after all."

"Sabine, if anything should happen to me, I want you to testify before the Senate. Mandalore will also need a new Prime Minister," Flora added.

"I can't take your place, Flora!" Sabine argued.

"You must. If I should perish, you must become the leader of Mandalore. Padme does not want to lead our people, because she has a higher calling. So when she gives it to you, you must take the Darksaber."

"I can't!" Sabine did her best not to cry.

"Sabine, you said that the last time about the Darksaber," Ezra reminded her. "But Kanan, Hera, Zeb and I believed in you. I still believe in you."

Sabine smiled at her old friend. She knew Ezra was right. She nodded her head in agreement.

"I am going to get the Ghost," Ezra told them. "As soon as Padme is done with her speech, we are leaving."

"Except for me," Flora reminded him. Ezra scowled, remembering how stubborn Mandalorians can be. He turned his attention to Padme and said,

"You will be fine. Just speak from your heart. Sabine will be there to support you."

"Thanks, Ezra," Padme replied. He left the palace.

"It's time, ladies," Flora said to Padme and Sabine a few minutes later. Sabine led Padme up the stairs to the balcony, which overlooked the main plaza. Padme looked down and saw a sea of people. She knew the other cities would see her via their Holonet. Sabine was just out of sight from the camera.

"If anything, I am right here," Sabine whispered, holding her blaster in her hand. Padme walked onto the balcony, and turned her attention to the camera. The Darksaber was in her hand, but was out of sight of the people watching once her speech was broadcasted.

She gave a brief but passionate speech about how the First Order was threatening to destroy the Outer Rim. Then Padme raised her hand and turned on the Darksaber. She sensed many in the crowd, along with those watching on the Holonet, bowed their knees.

Padme continued, saying that Mandalore needed to join the fight. Ben had warned her to not mention about Starkiller Base, since it would put his life in jeopardy if the news got out.

"The time is now, Mandalore. If you want to join the fight, go to your city's main entrance. Ships are there, waiting for you. Do not fear. This is what the First Order wants. But they will crumble, just like the Galactic Empire. Long live Mandalore!" Padme finished with a shout.

"Long live Mandalore!" she could heard the crowd cry out in unison. Padme left the balcony and joined Sabine, who had tears in her eyes. The two women embraced.

"Padme, that was amazing!" Sabine said to her.

Padme smiled. She had done it. She knew through the Force people were boarding the ships, ready to join the fight.

"Padme, you need to get off the planet," Kylo suddenly warned her. "The Order is coming. Someone beamed your speech to the Finalizer. They did not get your name, but Hux now knows what you look like."

"Sabine, please tell me the ships are combat ships," Padme uttered, as she broke the embrace.

"There are, but why..." Sabine questioned, before seeing the worried look on Padme's face. She sighed and said, "It's the First Order. They are coming!"

Padme nodded her head. She wondered where Ezra was. She hoped he would not run into the enemy. Otherwise, she and Sabine would not be able to escape.

"You need to stay up here, where it is safe," Sabine instructed her. Padme bent down and grabbed her knapsack, which held her grandfather's lightsabers.

"And you need to take this," Padme responded, as she pulled out the Darksaber and offered it to Sabine. "Take it. It is time."

With reluctance, Sabine took the Darksaber. Before she left, she warned Padme to not go downstairs, even if their lives were threatened.

"Ezra, where are you?" Padme cried out.

"I'm dodging some TIE fighters. Someone must have tipped them off," Ezra grunted, as he was able to avoid being shot at. "Padme, they are heading straight to Sundari!"

" Please hurry!"

"Padme, are you safe?" Kylo asked her.

"For now," she replied, her body shaking.

"The minute you started speaking, Hux sent all available troops to the planet. Listen carefully to me. Hux and a legion of Stormtroopers are going to enter the royal palace. He is going to demand that you be turned over to him. Otherwise, he is going to use Starkiller Base to destroy the planet. Do not go downstairs."

"Ben, I can't just stay here and watch him kill your people!"

"You must. You are too important to lose. If you hear Hux threatening to kill the Prime Minister, do not going downstairs. Take the stairs to the roof. Someone will be there to help you escape."

"Who?"

"You will know when you see them. I must go now. Until tonight, my love."

Kylo did not want to tell Padme the truth about who was going to be on the roof. Hux had everyone except for Ren go to Mandalore. He was suppose to stay on the ship. But he didn't. He used his Force powers to make it seem he was still on the ship. He flew down to Mandalore, in his black outfit and mask, and headed to the royal palace. He was going to save Padme from being captured by Hux.

Padme heard arguing coming from downstairs. She drew close to the door, to be able to hear what was being said.

"How dare you barge into the royal palace uninvited!" Flora angrily snapped at someone. Then Padme heard a loud slap to the Prime Minister's face.

"Did your people not learn from the mistake they made the last time they fought against the Empire?" she heard an angry voice yell back.

"We learned. We learned to join the fight, and not delay!" The bold statement from Flora caused her to be slapped again.

"Flora, we know Mand'alor is still here. All you have to do is hand her over to me. Then my troops and I will leave you in peace."

"She is not here, and even if she was, I would not hand her over to you, General Hux!"

Flora was forced to her knees. Hux motioned for the Stormtroopers to aim their blasters at her. He walked over to an open doorway. Padme could hear his cold voice call out.

"Mand'alor! I know you are still here! Show me how brave you are and come downstairs!"

"I am here," Padme heard Sabine grunt to Hux.

"You possess the Darksaber, but you are not Mand'alor. I know what she looks like, Sabine Wren, and it is not you. Seize her!"

Padme heard a lot of commotion. She hoped Sabine would be able to escape.

"Why did you let her escape?" Hux screamed at his troops. "She is not Force sensitive, that you should have trouble capturing her. Find her!"

"Mand'alor, I know you are here!" Hux shouted out. Padme could feel Flora's fear, as the blasters were aimed close to her head. "If you do not come downstairs right now and surrender yourself, the Prime Minister will die!"

Padme debated for a moment whether to give herself up. But Ben was right. She had to flee, despite the fact that Flora was going to die.

With tears streaking down her face, she quickly ran up the stairs to the roof. She felt Flora's death as she reach the rooftop. Padme went to walk towards the middle of the roof, when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. The person covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming. As she tried to free herself, she heard a modulated voice say to her,

"The girl I heard so much about."


	18. Chapter 18

Padme broke free from the stranger's grasp and turned to face him.

"It's okay. I am here to help," the man's voice added. He was tall and dressed in black. He wore a black mask with silver trim around his eyes. Padme took a step back, in fear of him.

"Don't be afraid," the masked stranger said to her. "Ben asked me to come and rescue you."

"Ben?" Padme uttered in disbelief. "So you are with the First Order?" She went to reach for a lightsaber, but couldn't. The man had frozen her! She trembled, realizing that this man was Force sensitive.

"I came here to help. Not to be killed by a lightsaber. Please, just listen to me."

Kylo was doing his best to be calm. Finally, he met his Padme. She was so frightened, she could not even sense it was him underneath the mask. Which was a good thing, since he would have to get back to the Finalizer before Hux realized he was gone. He wanted to reveal himself to the woman he loved, but this was not the time. She was in grave danger.

"I am with the First Order, but not by my choice," the man explained sadly. "You need to come with me."

Kylo pointed to his left, and Padme saw a TIE fighter.

"How do I know you won't take me straight to General Hux?" Padme questioned him.

"I won't. Ben has told me a lot about you, and what he did to protect you. I saw your speech. You are a woman of great conviction. I can see why Ben loves you."

Padme blushed, feeling strange that this masked man knew about her, Ben and their predicament.

Kylo unfroze Padme. He caught her from falling. She was even more beautiful in person. But she was also scared. Scared of the situation, and scared of him.

"We will meet Ezra Bridger half way," Kylo explained. "But we must leave now."

Against her better judgment, Padme followed Kylo to the TIE fighter. She had never been in one before. Kylo pointed to the co-captain's seat. She reluctantly sat down. He did the same, and turned on the fighter.

"In case you have to fire at incoming ships, the buttons are here," Kylo told her.

"You mean when I need to fire," Padme corrected him. He nodded his head, and a moment later, the TIE lifted off from the rooftop.

Padme had many questions she wanted to ask her rescuer, mostly about Ben. But since time was short, she only asked one.

"What is your name?" Padme bravely asked.

"Kylo Ren," he replied. "But you can call me Kylo."

"Kylo, thank you for helping me escape."

Padme felt a little more at ease. She felt in the Force that Kylo was telling her the truth. Just like Ben, he was forced into working for General Hux.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a couple of TIE fighters heading in their direction. Padme used the Force to guide her when to fire at them. She shot both fighters down.

"Good aim," Kylo complimented her.

"Thanks, but..." Padme started to say, then stopped.

"I know." Padme's eyes widened. Kylo knew she was Force sensitive!

"There he is," Kylo said to her, pointing to a ship up ahead. "Do not fire at that ship. Ezra Bridger is on it."

"Padme, are you okay?" Ezra called out to her through the Force.

"I am, but Flora and Sabine..." Padme said with sadness.

"Sabine is safe. She made it to one of the ships. As for Flora, she gave her life, not wanting to live in fear anymore."

A tear streaked down Padme's face. It was not fair that Flora Rau had to sacrifice her life for Padme and her people.

The two ships flew next to each other. Kylo opened the hatch for Padme to escape and enter the Ghost. He didn't want to let her go, but he had to get back to the Finalizer, otherwise, he would be dead.

"Go. May the Force be with you," Kylo said to her. Padme nodded her head before climbing out of the TIE fighter. Ezra quickly reached with his hand to grab her. She was relieved to see him.

"Don't relax just yet. We still have to get off of the planet," Ezra told her, knowing her thought.

It took a few minutes of shooting down TIE fighters before the Ghost escaped Mandalore. Padme went to ask Ezra a question when she heard her uncle call out to her.

"Padme, are you okay?" Luke asked

"I am. Luke, why did not you answer me? I was worried when..." Padme responded, trying her best to be calm.

"Because I knew you had to make that speech. And because of you, now the entire Outer Rim will stand up to the Order.

"I hope so."

" I know so, my sweet niece. I know you have a lot of questions. Save them for when we see each other. As it is, I have to go and let your parents know you are alive and well."

"My parents?"

"Padme, I guess you don't know. The speech you made, it wasn't just Mandalore that heard it. The entire galaxy heard it!"

Padme gasped in amazement and in fear. Then she heard Leia's voice call out to her.

"We are very proud of you, sweetheart. We will see each other soon," Leia said to her daughter.

"May the Force be with you," Luke said to Padme, before dropping the Force connection.

"Now do you understand why it was so important for you to speak?" Ezra told her.

"But how did my speech go out to the entire galaxy? Was it Flora?" Padme wondered, still shocked that now everyone knew about the speech.

"Partly. But it was not her idea."

"Yours?"

"I wish. No, it was Kylo Ren. He was able to have your speech broadcasted to all. He told me that since Hux knew about you now, that the entire galaxy might as well know."

Padme dropped her mouth open in surprise. Kylo meant what he said. He did help the cause, even though he was working for the Order.

"It will be only a matter of time before the Senate will declare war. Then the First Order will be no more. And we have you to thank for it," Ezra added.

"Kylo Ren, as well," Padme responded truthfully.

"Yes. Sit tight. I am about to engage the hyperdrive. It's time to go visit Hosnian Prime."

Padme smiled. She was finally going to be able to see her parents. She felt joy, then sadness. She wasn't sure if Luke told them about Polis Masso. She would wait and speak to him first before saying anything to them.

Meanwhile, Kylo made sure his covered his tracks and was back on the Finalizer before Hux arrived. Many Mandalorians escaped in their ships, and he could feel Hux' anger. They were heading to the Rebel base located on Lothal. Kylo dreaded telling Hux about the base, but he had no choice. Padme was in more danger, now that Hux knew she looked like, and knew her to be Mand'alor.

"General Hux wants to see you," a Stormtrooper told Kylo. He lead Kylo to the conference room, and closed the door behind him. Ren felt Hux's fury as he slowly approached the general.

"Have a seat, Ben," Hux growled. Not wanting to incur his wrath, Kylo obeyed. He saw the TV come on. He faced it and saw Mandalore suddenly blown up into a million pieces.

Kylo clutched the table in shock, and he felt the cries of those who stayed behind. He glanced over at Hux, who had a wicked smile on his face.

"Mand'alor is not the only one who can broadcast to the entire galaxy," the general smirked. Kylo was thankful he had his mask on. Otherwise, Hux would have seen the tears trickle down his face.

"I will find her, Ben. She is the reason why Mandalore is no more. I will find her and make her pay," Hux growled in anger. "This is what will happen if people do not submit to the First Order. Remember this , Ben. For your sake, as well as Padme's."

Before Kylo could yell at him, Hux stood up and confidently walked out of the room.


	19. Chapter 19

Kylo took off his helmet. He would never get to see his parents' home planet. All that survived of Mandalore were the people that escaped and the Darksaber.

"Ben, what happened?" Padme called out to him. "Both Ezra and I felt the cries..."

"Mandalore is no more. Hux just destroyed the planet," Kylo responded sadly.

"I am so sorry. This is all my fault..."

"No. Do not blame yourself. If you didn't make that speech, none of my people would have survived. Hux is evil. He didn't even warn me! He told me to sit down and look at the screen. Then I saw the planet blow up!"

He felt the sweet caress of Padme's fingers against his cheeks. Although it was brief, Kylo remembered the softness of her skin as he held her from behind. He recalled the initial fear in her eyes when she saw him. He was proud when she used the Force to shoot down the TIE fighters.

Padme brushed her lips against Kylo's. He loved it when she kissed him. It made him feel at peace, hopeful that one day, they would be together.

"I heard Kylo Ren helped you escape," he said to Padme.

"He did, but he scared me at first! He snuck up from behind and grabbed me. I thought he was going to take me straight to Hux. Ben, he knows I'm Force sensitive," she replied truthfully.

"Don't worry about Kylo Ren. He hates working for Hux as much as I do. He threw a fit when he found out what I have to do to protect you. He promised me he would help you if your paths should cross again. And I will continue to do what I need to do to protect you."

"Once the Senate declares war on the First Order, then it will only be a matter of time before we win. And we will finally be together."

"On Naboo, right?"

"Ben, I will be with you anywhere you want to be. But I always wanted to visit Naboo."

"Then we shall go to Naboo. Padme, did you hear anything about those who were on Polis Masso?"

"Yes. I heard from Luke Skywalker. They are alive, but scared of the fact that they will die from the radiation exposure. Luke is putting up a brave front, but I think he is scared, too." Padme frowned after she said this.

"I am sorry. I know you admire him, and I'm sure thinking about him passing away eventually hurts."

"Just as much as seeing your people perish before your eyes."

"Padme, we have been through so much..."

"Yes. But it is making us stronger. Ben, if we can get through this alive and in one piece, it will be a miracle. Which means there is nothing that can happen to us that will tear us apart."

Kylo did not want to disagree with Padme. But if she found out the truth about who he really was, she would leave him.

They broke off their Force connection. Kylo and the Order headed to attack the Rebel base at Lothal, and Padme and Ezra went to pick up Luke and Sabine, before travelling to Hosnian Prime.

Padme gave her uncle the biggest hug she could muster when she saw him.

"I need to breath," Luke teased her. "I won't have much of it left." Padme broke the embrace and stared angrily at him.

"How can you speak so glibly about this?" she snapped.

"Padme, everyone dies. But not everyone lives their life to the fullest. I can say that I have lived my life this way. And you need to live your life, after I'm gone."

"I will try..."

"Do or do not. There is no try. But I know you will do. There are happy times ahead for you, my sweet niece. But even with all the bad that's happened, there is good news."

"What good news?"

"My ex-student, the one that turned to the Dark side, reached out to try and warn us about the attack by Starkiller Base. He was very upset about what happened. He is still on the Dark side, but he vowed to find a way to destroy the weapon. I told him that I forgive him and that I love him. He just needs to forgive himself."

They stopped at Takadona to refuel the Ghost. They rented a cottage for the night. Ezra filled Luke in about the events on Mandalore.

"So you were able to posses the Darksaber?" Luke asked, when Ezra got to that part. Padme nodded her head. She knew what was coming next.

"She did. Which means..." Ezra said, turning to Padme. "She subdued the last person who possessed it." Luke had a puzzled look on his face.

"Emperor Vader was the last person to wield the weapon," Ezra added.

"I see," Luke uttered, glancing over at his niece.

"Padme, I must know. How did you do it? Did you kill Vader?"

Padme was not sure how to answer the question. She looked to Luke for guidance.

"It is your question to answer. If you feel Ezra is trustworthy. you can tell him," Luke instructed her.

She thought for a moment, then said,

"I did not kill him. Someone else did that. What I did was kill the evil that was in Vader, and brought the good out of the man he once was."

"Who was he?" Ezra questioned her. He always thought Vader was a machine, a monster.

"Is it okay if I tell him?" Padme asked Luke.

"Yes. As I said before, it is your place to answer Ezra's questions," Luke reminded her.

"Ezra, before he became Darth Vader, he was Jedi Knight Anikin Skywalker."

Ezta's mouth dropped open in shock. He remembered back to the time on Malachor, where Vader fought and almost killed him. But Ahsoka Tano came and distracted Vader. He never understood the conversation between the two, until now. Ahsoka was confronting her former master. They battled each other, and Ezra fled with Kanan in order to escape the Sith temple, before it blew up.

"Wait a minute!" Ezra exclaimed. "Luke, are you...?"

"Yes, " Luke replied. "Anikin Skywalker was my father."

"Wow! Have you always known?"

"My father told me after our duel on Cloud City."

"I don't understand. I know you tried to bring the good out of Vader, but you were not successful. How come Padme was able to?"

"Because," Padme interjected, hoping that revealing the truth was not a mistake. "He loved me."

"Darth Vader loved you?" Ezra uttered incredulously.

"Yes. Vader was my grandfather."

Ezra's eyes bulged in disbelief. To hear that Vader had a son and granddaughter in a span of a minute was shocking!

"So Luke is your dad?" Ezra guessed.

"No. He is my uncle," Padme replied.

"There's another Skywalker?"

"Yes," Luke chimed in. "You have known her for many years. She is my twin sister."

Ezra stared at Padme, looking at her facial features. He gasped.

"Leia! She is your sister!" he said to Luke. "Which means..." He faced Padme and added, "She is your mother."

"Ezra, promise me what you know does not leave this room. If the Order finds out Leia, Padme and I are related..." Luke warned him.

"I don't think they would believe me even if I did tell them. But don't worry. This conversation does not leave this room," Ezra promised.

"May I be excused?" Padme asked, before she yawned.

"Go and get some rest. I will see you in the morning," her uncle said to her.

"Good night, Lady Skywalker," Ezra teased Padme. She gave him a quick smile before going to bed.


	20. Chapter 20

"Ezra, please do me a favor," Luke asked with a serious tone in his voice.

"What is the favor?" Ezra replied curiously.

"Please do not tell Leia about the radiation from the Polis Masso attack. She has enough on her plate, with trying to get the Senate to declare war. I will tell Padme and the rest of the Jedi to do the same."

"But shouldn't she know?"

"Just promise me you won't say anything to her. I need to see this war through. Leia will try to stop me if she finds out. No one else should know about my pending demise except for you, me and Padme."

"I promise. But I still think you should tell her."

"Also, please keep an eye on Padme after I'm gone. I know you will be busy, training Caleb Syndulla."

"I am not worthy of training the boy," Ezra stated solemnly. "He wants to be a Jedi, and I..."

"The Jedi of old will gone in a year. You can train Caleb and others to be the new Jedi. To follow the will of the Force rather than be bound by traditions."

"I can't, Luke. When Kanan needed me the most, I ran like a coward, and it cost him his life!"

"That is not true. He told you the same thing his master, Depa Billaba, told him," Luke told him, getting the revelation through the Force.

"Your friend Sabine has accepted her destiny as the leader of the Mandalorians," he added, as he prepared to leave. "You should do the same." Luke walked away, leaving Ezra to meditate on what he said.

Kylo waited for Padme to fall asleep. She came rushing into his arms. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. They sat on the ground. Kylo put Padme on his lap, and stroked her hair. She was beautiful, and he considered himself lucky that she was with him.

"Ben, I'm going to keep my promise," she whispered to him. She stroked his dark hair. He was so handsome, he could have any girl in the galaxy. But he chose to be with her.

"Your promise?" he uttered curiously.

"Remember you asked me to tell you everything about Mandalore. But then the First Order came, Polis Masso and Mandalore were fired upon..."

Kylo had no words to say. He could only listen to Padme, as she talked about the domed cities, Sundari and the paintings she saw at the royal palace. By the time she was done, he was in tears.

Padme leaned in and began to kiss his tears away. She softly caressed his arms. She continued to kiss him, and Kylo felt the desire rise in him. She began to nibble on his ear.

"Ben," she moaned, as she nibbled on his other ear.

"Padme, we can't..." Kylo gasped, not really wanting her to stop.

"Please. Let me take your pain away." She brushed her lips against his. Their kisses were long and deep. Padme then moved her lips to Kylo's neck. A moaned escaped his lips.

"You want me, Ben," Padme told him, as she traced his chest.

"I do," he replied, before he gave her a passionate kiss. His lips found her neck, and she trembled in pleasure. He pressed her body close to his. She could feel his private area, and her chest leaned against his.

"I want you, too," she groaned as he moved his hands up and down her back. She felt a warm sensation between her legs. She moved her hand to his pants and unbuttoned them.

"Make love to me," Padme said to Kylo, her eyes meeting his. The words she said snapped him back to reality.

"No," he told her, breaking the embrace. "Not until we are together. Padme, please go!"

"But Ben, I thought you wanted this! What did I do wrong?" Padme cried.

Kylo placed his hand on Padme's cheek. She thought she did something to displease him. His heart ached for her.

"You did nothing wrong. It's just not our time yet," Kylo explained to her. "You need to defeat the Order from the outside, and I need to defeat it from within."

Padme was sad, but Ben was right. Being intimate with each other would have to wait until the war was over. She kissed him on the cheek and rose to her feet.

"I am heading with Ezra, Sabine and Luke to Hosnian Prime. We are going to testify before the Senate about Polis Masso and Mandalore," she said to him.

"Hux is sending troops to attack the base on Lothal," Kylo told her, as he stood up. "I am not sure if I want Lothal to fight against the Order, after what happened to Mandalore."

"The people there will do the right thing. Even if it cost them their lives."

"I need to find the weakness in this weapon, before Hux uses it again."

"You will find it, Ben. And when you do, tell me. I will make sure this monstrosity is destroyed."

They kissed one last time before parting. It was time for Padme to leave with Luke and Ezra, and Kylo had to go attend another meeting with Hux.

The crew of the Ghost picked up Sabine. This time, it was Ezra and his old friend that embraced each other for a long time.

"I thought I lost you," Ezra admitted, holding Sabine's hands. "When I found out Hux was there with you..."

"Ssh. I am here now," Sabine replied, pressing her finger against his lips. They walked away from Luke and Padme.

"Do you think they have feelings for each other?" Padme asked.

"Maybe, but you are not to play matchmaker," her uncle warned her.

"I know."

"Padme, when we get to Hosnian Prime, do not tell anyone the severity of the Polis Masso attack. It was bad enough the entire galaxy saw Mandalore blow up. I do not want your parents to worry."

"But they would want to know..."

"They would try to take care of me, and not do what they have to do. If I am going to die, I will die fighting the Order."

"I won't say anything. But I think you should. If they find out..."

"They won't find out. There is another matter we need to discuss. If you are going to continue to heal the soldiers, you are going to have to wear a disguise. General Hux now knows what you look like. I would try to convince you to stay with your parents, but I know you will not listen."

"I will wear the disguise," Padme promised. She had an idea of something she could do to help the cause. But she didn't tell Luke, he would forbid her to do it. But she needed to know if her idea would work. Padme vowed to try it out the next time a battle occurred.

Finally, the four of them reached Hosnian Prime. They landed early in the morning, so as to not attract attention. Ezra and Sabine disembarked first, and greeted Han and Leia. After they left, Padme ran straight to her parents. Both of them embraced her. Luke smiled at the scene. He hugged them as well. It tore him apart that this could be one of last times they would be together. He pushed that thought to the side. They were together now, and that was what mattered.

After bringing Luke and Padme to their private quarters, Leia asked about what happened at Polis Masso.

"Just an explosion," Luke lied. "There were no causalities except one." He glanced over at Han.

"What do you mean?" Has asked.

"Han, I'm sorry. The explosion blew up the Falcon." Han was horrified. His ship was gone!

"At least you are okay. Isn't that right, Han?" Leia interjected.

"Yes, of course," he replied, still in shock that the Falcon was no more.

Padme tried to be calm. Luke was not okay, but he didn't not want her parents to know.

"I am so glad the both of you are safe," Leia said to them. "Hearing about Polis Masso, then the destruction of Mandalore..." She hung her head, remembering how Alderaan was blown up years ago.

Trying to change the subject, so that Leia would not be said, Han turned to his daughter and asked,

"How's your Force bond buddy?" Padme blushed. Her father did not know that she and Ben were more than just friends.

"He's good," she replied, not wanting to say anything personal about Ben.

"Han, don't even bother. I've been asking her a year about this guy, and she refuses to say anything about him," Luke explained.

"When you tell me about your student that killed the Jedi and turned to the Dark side, then I will tell you about him," Padme argued. Han cleared his throat.

"Some guy. Doesn't even have the guts to come and meet the girls' parents!" he grunted in disgust. Padme gave him a confused look, then glanced over at Luke.

"You told them, didn't you?" she asked in disbelief. "You told them how I feel about him!"

"Padme, your parents are concerned, and so I am..." Luke started to say.

"There is nothing to be concerned about. Everyone in this room has their secrets. Well, so do I!" Turning to her father, she snapped,

"Don't judge him. You don't know the whole story!" With her fists clenched in anger, she stormed away from them, and ran up to her bedroom. She slammed the door, so that they would know how angry she was.


	21. Chapter 21

A few minutes later, Padme heard a knock on her bedroom door. She did not feel like talking.

"Go away!" she grunted.

"Padme, please let me in," Leia asked. Padme reluctantly opened the door for her mother.

"I'm not going downstairs..."

"I'm not asking you to." Leia closed the door behind her. "Come and sit with me."

The two women sat down on the bed. Padme remembered back to the time she found out Leia was her mother. Just like then, she played nervously with the hem of her skirt.

"I know you love him," her mother said softly, as she brushed a stray lock of hair under her daughter's ear.

"Of course I love Dad! He's just over protective!" Padme complained.

"I wasn't referring to your dad, Padme, and you know that. Sweetheart, we just want the best for you."

"He is the best for me, Mom! He loves me so much!" Padme stopped speaking. The pain of Ben being tortured and forced to work for the Order overwhelmed her.

Leia placed her hand on Padme's face. She hated to see her daughter in so much pain.

"Honey, he's protecting you, isn't he?" Leia guessed correctly. Padme could not deny the truth anymore. She simply nodded her head, before the tears came. Leia tightly embraced her.

"Please don't tell Dad!" Padme begged, as her mom wiped her tears away. "He'll just force me to stay here."

"You will have to tell him eventually. Han just wants what is best for you. He won't admit it to you, but he knows he was wrong to try to keep you here. He is so proud of what you have accomplished, and so am I."

"It will only be a matter of time, Mom. Once the Senate declares war, then the Rebels will have the manpower they need to crush the Order once and for all. Then the galaxy will be at peace, and I..." Padme's voice trailed off. She wistfully thought about being with Ben.

"Does he treat you well?" Leia asked.

"Yes. He loves me. He hates working for Hux..."

"But he doesn't want you to get hurt," her mom finished her sentence. "He reminds me of someone."

"Who?" her daughter curiously asked.

"Your father."

Padme smiled. She had heard of the many stories of how Han risked his life to save Leia.

"Being in love during wartime is not easy," Leia confessed. "You need to trust each other, trust in the love that you share, even though you are far apart. But even if it does not work out, please remember that you are loved by so many people."

Padme nodded her head before Leia embraced her, She knew what her mother was trying to tell her. Her parents met during wartime, and their relationship did not last. But there was no turning back now. She could not worry about what will happen between her and Ben. They needed to deal with their present circumstances.

"Get some rest," Leia urged, before kissing Padme's forehead. She rose from the bed and left the room. Padme turned off the light and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Kylo was trying to figure out how to find the weakness in Starkiller Base. His research had to be atypical. He could not simply look up the weapon on the Holonet. Hux would be suspicious, and there would be dire consequences for Kylo. So he took a different approach.

He found the answer at a conference Hux had. Kylo entered the general's mind. It make him sick that he had to do this, but he had no other choice. The vulnerable spot in the weapon was the oscillator. If the oscillator was destroyed, Starkiller Base would explode.

Kylo was joyful until he finished reading Hux's mind. In order for it to be destroyed, not only did the oscillator have to be taken out, but the shields surrounding it would have to be down, and the weapon would have to be fully charged and ready to fire.

He was summoned to appear before Hux in his office. Begrudgingly, Kylo entered the general's office.

"Sit down, Ben," Hux commanded. Kylo took a seat and Hux sat next to him. Kylo wished he could be anywhere else but there.

"I was searching the Holonet, trying to find information on your precious Padme," Hux began.

Kylo's heart dropped. Did Hux find out that Padme was Mand'lore? He did his best to not appear nervous.

"There is not much information about her, except for one very interesting item," Hux declared, as he typed. An Imperial document appeared on the screen. It had Padme's name on it! Kylo backed away from the screen, trying to figure out what it was.

"Did you know about this, Ben?" Hux quizzed him.

"Know what? I can't even tell what this is!" Kylo replied in frustration.

"Let me enlarge the print so that you can see." Hux did so. When Kylo saw what it was, he had to bite his lips from gasping in shock.

"This is an Imperial prisoner record. Your precious Padme was captured by Emperor Vader," Hux told Kylo.

"I knew nothing about this," Kylo responded truthfully. "Why is this important?"

"Ben, you are not seeing the obvious. Did you really think you were going to hide her Force sensitivity from me? The only time Vader captured prisoners himself was if they were Force sensitive. He would made them do his bidding or be killed."

Kylo was not sure what upset him more, the fact that Hux knew Padme was Force sensitive, or that she was a prisoner of Vader's. No wonder she flinched when he grabbed her from behind back on Sundari!

"In fact, she is really special. She was the last prisoner Vader captured. He died the next day. Now that cannot be a coincidence, right?" Hux assumed.

"I don't know. She never said anything to me about this! Why does it matter to you? You hate her!" Kylo wondered.

"I do, but just like you, I can use her."

"Use her how?" Kylo felt the anger rise in himself. "Are you replacing me with her?" If that was the case, he was going to kill Hux right now.

"Do you want to be replaced?" Hux answered back rhetorically. "Of course not! In fact, I need both of you."

"Why?" Kylo did not like where this conversation was heading.

"Once the Order takes over the galaxy, we will need to replace the troops we have lost with new soldiers, trained at birth to be loyal. To be loyal," Hux paused, turning to face Kylo. "And to be powerful in the Force."

Kylo realized what the general was saying. He wanted him and Padme to have children, that would serve the Order. He was sickened by Hux's plan.

"Ben, I thought you would be delighted by my plan," Hux grinned, proud of making his masked prisoner of his squirm in his seat.

"No!" Kylo growled angrily. "I will not do it. I will not force myself on her!"

"Who said anything about force? Doesn't she love you? Doesn't she want to be with you?" Kylo wisely refused to answer.

"She will not agree to it. She would rather die..." Hux raised a hand to silence Kylo.

"I beg to differ. I think she will agree to it, if it will protect you."

"You sick bastard! You promised to keep her safe, if I revealed the bases. You liar!"

"Be quiet! That was before I found out she was Force sensitive. If she gets captured, she will be imprisoned and initiated into the Order."

Kylo's stomach churned. He knew what Hux did to female prisoners. To think of Padme being in that situation infuriated him.

"Or if you prefer, I will take her myself, and she will bear my children..."

"ENOUGH!" Kylo screamed, as he stood from his chair. "Leave Padme alone! She means nothing to you!" Kylo was about to leave, but Hux grabbed his wrist.

"I did not dismiss you, Ben."

"The name is Kylo!"

"No. You are Ben Kryze, the forgotten heir to the Mandalorian royal family, an ex-Jedi and my prisoner. Sit down now, otherwise I will get the truth serum, and find out more things about your precious Padme!" Hux threatened.

Kylo hated him more and more as the days went on. But he had no choice. He had to protect Padme. So he sat back down, feeling miserable.

"Very good, Ben. You are a quick learner. Now look at me."

Although he didn't want to, Kylo faced his captor.

"I should have explained myself better," Hux began, clearing his throat. "You and Padme having children benefits me. But this would also be your reward for all you have done to help the Order accomplish its goals."

"I don't need your rewards," Kylo barked.

"No. But you do need Padme. You will do anything for her, even this. Maybe it will not happen. Maybe she will die before then. But I thought I would give you fair warning, in case she is ever captured. You may leave now."

Kylo walked out, trying to not make it obvious how terrified he was. He headed to his room, tore off his helmet, went to the bathroom and threw up.

He was not looking forward to telling Padme any of this. He was also upset with her. She never told him she was a prisoner of Vader's. If Kylo would have known, he could have prevented Hux from seeing the Imperial document. Now that Hux knew Padme was Force sensitive, he wanted to use her like he used Kylo. Hux had also said that it wasn't a coincidence that Vader died the day after he captured Padme. Kylo thought for a moment before remembering. The chip that showed his father's murder. He needed to look at it again.


	22. Chapter 22

Kylo locked the door, so that no one could disturb him. He walked to his laptop, and sat down. He inserted the chip, to watch the video of Vader killing his father.

He decided to watch it past the part where Vader approached his father's body, lightsaber ignited. Kylo had to fight back tears as the monster kicked his father. Vader turned back to the direction he came from. A few seconds later, he collapsed to the ground. Kylo looked at the screen and dropped his mouth open in shock.

It was Padme! She was there, watching his father die. Kylo touched the screen. She must have been so terrified, at what she had seen...

Kylo came to a realization. Hux had said Padme was Vader's last prisoner. He died the next day. The Empire never confirmed what killed Vader. But as he watched the scene again, Kylo could only come to one conclusion. Padme had something to do with Vader's death.

He smiled. Padme was the perfect girl for him. She probably killed Vader in retaliation for Vader killing his father. Although Kylo wished he had done it himself, the thought that she could have been responsible for the death of the most hated man in the galaxy gave him great pleasure. Maybe he could let go of his anger. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe it wasn't too late for him to return to the light. Kylo was also thrilled that his Padme had a little bit of darkness in her.

He went to bed, and waited patiently in the meadow for her. It took a few minutes before she joined him.

"You took too long," Kylo scolded her, before kissing her on the cheek.

"Sorry. I was upset with my family, and my mother had a heart to heart with me," Padme confessed, as she stroked his face.

"What happened?" They strolled over to their tree, and sat on the ground.

"They found out I'm in love with my 'Force bond buddy', as my father likes to call you."

"I see. So they are upset, because they haven't met me."

"Yes. But my mom, she understands. She knows you're protecting me, Ben. I did not tell her. She figured it out herself."

"Is there anything else she knows about me?"

"Only that I love you," Padme responded, before she kissed Kylo. "I am sorry. I know you are concerned about Hux finding out..."

"He already found out something, about you." She pulled back in disbelief.

"Does he know I was the one who united Mandalore?" Padme's eyes were full of fear.

"No, but he now he knows how powerful you are."

"Ben, I don't understand..."

"Padme, he knows you're Force sensitive!" Kylo snapped at her, crossing his arms in front of him. He didn't want to yell at her, but he could not help himself.

Padme was surprised by what Ben had told her, as well as his reaction. She asked him how Hux found out.

"For once, it was not me. He showed me an Imperial document, with your name on it."

Kylo rose to his feet, and turned his back on Padme. She also stood up, but did not draw close to him. She could feel his anger, and he was doing his best not to lash out at her.

"You know what that document is, don't know?" Kylo asked, as he turned to face her.

"I do," Padme sighed sadly. She did not want to talk about her experience as Vader's prisoner. She saw the fury in Ben's eyes.

"So it's true! You were Vader's prisoner!"

"Yes, I was. Ben, I don't want to talk about it..."

"But I do! Padme, you should have told me! I would have kept it a secret. But I had to find out about this, from all people, Hux!"

"Don't yell at me!" Padme scolded Kylo. "We promised to not push each other if we didn't want to discuss something personal. This qualifies!"

"But you not telling me about this has put you in even more danger! You don't understand. If you ever get captured..." Kylo paused, not wanting to tell Padme Hux's plan.

"What will happen if I get captured. Ben, tell me! Don't shut me out!" she pleaded with him. He took a deep breath and said,

"If you get captured, Hux wants us to have children, to be raised to be loyal to the First Order."

Padme took a step back. She knew Hux was evil, but what Ben just told her was twisted!

"Then he said if I was not willing, that he would gladly be the father of your children," Kylo hissed in disgust. "Padme, I don't want him anywhere near you..."

"Don't worry, Ben. If he tries to touch me, I will kill him," Padme vowed. "Besides, I will be in disguise soon. Hux will have a difficult time trying to find me." Padme gave Kylo a kiss to reassure him. They sat down on the ground.

"Please tell me about what happened when Vader took you," Kylo asked, as she climbed into his lap.

Padme gave him minimal details of her time in Vader's custody. She did not tell him that she was Vader's granddaughter, or that the Force ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi spoke to her. By the time she got to the point where she almost turned to the Dark side, she was in tears.

"Please, Ben! I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's too painful!" Kylo wiped away her tears, and leaned in to kiss her.

"My brave and beautiful Padme," Kylo whispered in her ear. "Did you do it? Did you kill Emperor Vader?"

"Yes," she replied softly. It wasn't a complete lie. She did kill the evil that was in Vader. But she was not going to tell Ben Vader was related to her.

"Padme?"

"Yes?"

"Hearing you say that, it makes me want you even more!"

Kylo kissed Padme passionately. She was caught off guard, but she allowed him to give her deep, wet kisses. She felt his hands roam up and down her back. She loved how he touched her.

Kylo moved his lips to her neck. Padme let out a moan. She held him close, as he gently laid her on the ground. He continued to kiss her neck, as her hands stroked his back. He drew closer to her body, as his lips ravished hers.

Kylo knelt above Padme. It was time. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and took it off. It took all of her strength not to gasp as he took her hand and guided it along his chest. Soon, both of Padme's hands were touching his chest, as he kissed the side of her face and neck.

She could feel his member was hard, and enjoyed it when Ben's hands began to caress her legs. She groaned in pleasure as her nightgown was pushed up to her waist.

"Oh Ben!" she whimpered, as he gently took off her panties. Padme was breathing heavily at this point. Kylo moved his hand from her leg to her private area.

He grinned as he touched her there. She was wet for him! He let out a moan as he gently pulled the nightgown off of her.

"Padme, you're beautiful," Kylo whispered, as he began to touch her nude body. His lips found her breasts, where he began to kiss and massage them. Padme loved the way Ben's lips felt on her body.

"Make love to me," Kylo uttered, full of desire. Padme panicked, pushing Ben off of her. She quickly grabbed her nightgown and put it back on.

"No. This is not right!" Padme said, embracing herself. "You only want to make love to me because I killed Vader!"

Kylo was taken aback by her statement. He grabbed his shirt and put it back on.

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I got carried away."

"So did I," Padme admitted. "But we can't do this, Ben, Now I understand. What happens if we made love, I get captured by Hux, and then found out I was pregnant?"

Padme made a great point. Kylo had let his desire to be with her overwhelm him. To the point that he had forgotten about Hux's threat to use her if she got captured.

"You are right," Kylo told her. "We can't do this, not until the war is over."

Padme decided to change the subject.

"Did you find out anything about Starkiller Base, how it can be destroyed?" she asked, trying to calm herself down.

"Yes! Its weakness is the oscillator. If you attack it when the weapon is fully charged, it will exploded. But there are shields surrounding it. The shields need to be down in order to access it," Kylo explained.

"Ben, you did it! You found the weakness. I could kiss you right now!"

"I would not suggest that, after what almost happened."

"Oh." Padme felt embarrassed.

"Don't feel embarrassed. Believe me, if Hux did not have me as a prisoner, we would have made love. Thank you, Padme, for stopping us before we went too far."

She smiled demurely. She wondered what Ben thought of her body.

"It's beautiful, inside and out," Kylo told her. "Now I think it is time for me to take a cold shower!"

"I thought cold showers don't help you," she teased him. He raised his eyebrow and replied,

"They don't, but I will imagine you there with me. Please say you will do the same."

"Of course. I should go. Today, we are testifying before the Senate. Hopefully, they will declare war afterwards."

"Don't be nervous. You will be fine."

Kylo took his hand and blew a kiss her way. Even a hug would be dangerous for them right now. She faded from his view. Kylo went to take a cold shower.

Padme decided to do the same. Ben had seen her naked. She knew that soon, they would finally become lovers. But first things first. She needed to prepare herself to testify before the Senate.


	23. Chapter 23

It was a busy day for Padme, her family and her friends. They took turns testifying about the explosion on Polis Masso and the destruction of Mandalore. Padme was disguised in a white hooded robe, and gave her testimony from a secret location. She did not want Hux to find out she was both Mand''alor and Ben's love.

After the Senate ended for the day, they all decided to have dinner. Everyone was busy in conversation, until Padme noticed Ezra's face went pale.

"Oh no!" she gasped to herself.

"Ezra, what's wrong?" Sabine asked. He looked around the table and said,

"Lothal was just destroyed by Starkiller Base." Sabine squeezed his hand. Padme got up and ran away.

"The squadron was not able to take out the oscillator," Luke added solemnly.

Padme made it to her bed just in time. She felt the torture Ben was facing by Hux's hands. He had figured out Ben knew the weakness of the weapon, and revealed it to the Rebels.

"He's going to kill me!" Kylo screamed in agony. He was stripped naked, and Hux and the Stormtroopers took turns punching and kicking him.

"No, he's not!" Padme told him. "Ben, remind Hux about me. If you die, he will never find me. But if he lets you live, you can lead him to me."

"I will not say that to him!"

"Ben, you must. Remember the Force bond. If Hux kills you, then I will die too."

Kylo was devastated that it had come to this. He listened to Padme, and told Hux what she had said. Then there was silence. It was the longest five minutes of Padme's life. But to her relief, he called out to her.

"He spared my life, but not before knocking me unconscious," Kylo groaned.

"Thank the Maker! Where are you now?"

"Lying in a holding cell. I'm undressed and freezing! But are you okay? I hate that you have to feel my pain."

"I am fine. Stay still."

Kylo wondered why she said this. Then he felt her hands, caressing him so that he would warm up.

"If I wasn't bloodied and bruised, I'd be so turned on right now," Kylo sighed, as Padme continued to warm him up.

He felt her touch. She touched every area that had been beaten, and healed him.

"What an amazing woman!" Kylo thought to himself. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Are you feeling better?" Padme asked. He hummed, finally feeling at peace.

"Yes. But I need to get some sleep. Uninterrupted sleep." Although he always enjoyed her company, he did need to rest.

"Goodnight," Padme whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek before fading away. Kylo fell asleep quickly, with a big smile on his face.

There were no smiles the next day in the Senate, as least from the Rebels. The Senate voted to not declare war on the First Order. Leia called for a private meeting with the senators and prime ministers from the Outer Rim planets. Sabine was there, representing Mandalore. All were shocked that the vote did not go in their favor. Leia asked them to vote on seceding from the Galactic Senate, and forming their own government. If the Senate was not going to fight the First Order, then the Outer Rim would have to fight the enemy themselves.

The vote passed, and the Outer Rim governed themselves. They still needed a liaison to communicate with the Galactic Senate. Leia was voted unanimously to be the liaison, Which meant she would remain on Hosnian Prime.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this," Leia told her family later that evening. "But we had no choice. We have to fight against Hux and his troops, in spite of fear of our own destruction."

"Once we get the shields down, we can destroy Starkiller Base. But the trick is getting them down," Luke added.

"And your Force bond buddy can't help here?" Han asked Padme.

"He almost died when Hux found out he gave the information to the Rebels," Padme sadly admitted.

"How did he survive?" Luke questioned his niece. Hux was ruthless, the boy should have been dead by now.

"What matters is that he survived," Leia interjected, squeezing Padme's hand in silent support.

"Well, if these shields don't come down, we will all be dead," Han grunted. Padme shot a pained look at Luke. He shook his head, indicating this was not the time to discuss his illness.

Padme saw the time and excused herself. Tomorrow, she and Luke would be leaving to go back out to battle. But first, there was a little boy she wanted to see before she left.

She entered the room where Ezra Bridger and Caleb Syndulla were, pretending to fight using wooden sticks. The boy dropped his stick. Padme smiled. Caleb sensed her presence without even looking.

"Padme!" Caleb shouted happily, as he ran towards her. She hugged him.

"I am sorry I couldn't come by sooner," she said, patting the boy on the head. "It's been a busy time for me."

"I know. You held the Darksaber! Was it cool to hold?"

"Yes, it was. But it was not mine to keep."

"I know. Ezra told me Sabine has it. She is the leader of her people now."

"Yes, Caleb. I see you were practicing with wooden sticks. Were you pretending it was a lightsaber?" The boy nodded his head. Padme went into her knapsack and pulled out Anikin Skywalker's lightsaber.

"Here. I want you to have this," she told him. Caleb did not say a word. He didn't know what to say to Padme.

"It's not mine," he finally managed to say. He didn't want to upset her, but he knew he couldn't take the lightsaber from her.

"Caleb, I'm giving it to you as a gift," she tried again. But he shook his head in disagreement.

Ezra walked over to them. It was time for Padme to know.

"What Caleb is trying to say, without hurting your feelings, is that he can't take the lightsaber. He will eventually have to create own of his own," Ezra explained, giving Caleb a wink.

"Wait? Does this mean..." Padme began to say. But before she could get the words out, Caleb chimed in.

"I'm Ezra's padawan. Just like he was my grandfather's. He's going to train me!" the boy exclaimed with the biggest smile on his face.

"Well, I am glad to hear that." Padme put the lightsaber away.

"Caleb, you need to say goodbye to Padme. She is leaving in the morning," Ezra told him. The boy's eyes began to fill with tears. She knelt down and embraced him.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked. Padme's heart broke for the boy.

"What does your heart tell you?" she whispered softly, as she held his chin in her hand. Caleb thought for a moment before declaring,

"We will see each other again." They hugged again, and Caleb spoke to her mind.

"If you see Ben, tell him I said hi, and that I'm going to be trained!"

"I will," she promised. They broke the embrace, and the boy skipped away, leaving Padme and Ezra to converse amongst themselves.

"Everyone is fulfilling their destinies. Caleb, Sabine and myself. And we have you to thank for it," Ezra declared.

"Me? What did I do?" Padme wondered.

"You follow the Force, no matter what danger you may face. That is not an easy thing to do."

"Ezra, I am by no means perfect..."

"Of course not. Just look at who your grandfather was!"

"Ouch! That was a low blow!" But Padme did laugh at the joke.

"Padme, none of us are perfect. We do not deserve the destinies we have been given. But when we choose to walk the path we are suppose to walk in, it not only benefits us..." Ezra paused and pointed to Caleb, who was now practicing levitating the wooden sticks. "It benefits the next generation."

"Keep walking your path, Padme," Ezra added, taking her hands into his. "Hard times are ahead for you. But stay focused, for your children and grandchildren's sake."

"I don't think I will have any kids," Padme nervously started to argue. Ezra lifted his hand to silence her.

"Yes, you will. I have seen visions and nightmares about it. And if I am not mistaken, you have as well." Padme bowed her head. She did have nightmares, about what Hux had planned for her and Ben.

"Do not let fear stop you from following the Force. Life is too short, times are too perilous, to hold yourself back," he encouraged the young woman.

"Thank you, Ezra. I guess I needed to hear that," Padme replied, wiping a tear away from her face.

"You need to go. You have an early start tomorrow. Tell Luke that I will not be joining the battle. He will understand." Ezra smiled, before embracing Padme.

"May the Force be with you, Ezra," Padme told him. After breaking the embrace, he gave her a wink before heading back to check up on Caleb. Padme walked out of the room, full of joy seeing Ezra and Caleb together as master and padawan.


	24. Chapter 24

Morning came. It was time for Luke and Padme to say goodbye to Han, Leia and Chewbacca. It was hard, but Luke and Padme needed to get back into battle. Sabine joined them on the new ship that Luke had purchased. It was not the Millennium Falcon, but it was a nice ship nevertheless.

"We have to name the ship," Luke said, as they flew away from the Hosnian System. "Any suggestions?"

"The Millennium Falcon II?" Sabine joked.

"No. There will be only one Millennium Falcon," Luke sighed sadly. "How about the Resistor, since we are resisting the First Order?" Both Sabine and Padme shook their heads no. Then Padme remembered something that Ezra had said.

"The ship will be called The Legacy," Padme explained. "What we are doing, along with others, is leaving a legacy behind for the next generation."

"Well," Luke uttered, as he turned to smile at Padme. "The Legacy it is then. Unless you have any objections to the name, Sabine."

"No, none at all," Sabine replied, smiling. Ezra had told her what he had said to Padme before she left. Sabine was going to miss him dearly, but she knew his place was with Caleb. Now her place was with her people, the ones who were willing to fight. She did not feel worthy to possess the Darksaber, but if she didn't, no one else would.

They landed at the Rebel base on Dantooine. Padme admired the lush green forests from behind her white hooded robe. They walked for miles in the beautiful landscape until they reached the base.

They were greeted by Median Stormcatcher, who was in charge of the base. He shook hands with them, and led them to the conference room.

"It has been a long time since this base was used, but the technology is not as far behind as you would think," Median said as they sat down. "It is such a shame it may get destroyed."

"Your friend, Leia Organa, had told Tarkin the Rebel Base was here, when he threatened to destroy Alderaan. Which was a lie, the base was on Yavin 4. But Tarkin destroyed Alderaan anyway. He was evil, just like the First Order," he added.

"That is why we are here, Median. To help you fight against them," Luke told him. "We have the Mandalorians on our side, thanks to Sabine, and Padme will be healing the soldiers that are injured so that they can go back into battle."

"How long do you think we will be able to stay here?" Median wondered.

"A few days, maybe a week, if we get lucky. But we haven't been lucky so far. We need to decide now where the next base will be."

"Ladies, you may be excused," Median kindly said to Padme and Sabine. "Master Skywalker and I have much to discuss." One of the soldiers escorted the women out of the conference room and to their bedrooms. They were not tired, so they decided to keep each other company.

Padme asked Sabine how life was on Mandalore. Sabine answered her questions. She was initially distrustful of the young woman when they first met, but Padme proved herself.

"She would have made a great Mandalorian!" Sabine thought.

Padme knew her thought, and grinned. There was one more question she had to ask, before heading to bed.

"Sabine, besides you and I, is there anyone else that can claim the Darksaber and lead your people?" Padme asked.

"It can be possessed by a family member of a former wielder. For example, if you were related to Emperor Vader, you could claim the Darksaber, without subduing or killing someone for it," Sabine explained.

When she said that, Padme got a chill up her spine. If only Sabine knew how true her statement was! But the young woman refused to show her emotion.

"Is there anyone else alive who can claim it?"

"Only if a relative of Bo-Katan Kryze was still alive. She, Duchess Satine and her nephew Korkie are all deceased. There was a rumor about another heir being alive, but it was only a rumor."

"What was the rumor, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The rumor was that the Duchess had a secret love child, a daughter, that only her family knew about. The daughter grew up, and got into some sort of trouble. Supposedly, she left Mandalore pregnant and fleeing for her life."

"If that is just a rumor, I would hate to hear the truth!"

"If a member of the Kryze family was still alive, I would be honored to surrender the Darksaber to them. But now, I possess it. Unless you want it back, Padme."

"Absolutely not! I have two lightsabers in my backpack. I do not want anyone calling me General Grievous!" The two women shared a laugh before retiring for the evening.

Kylo chuckled later, when Padme told him the General Grievous joke. It had been a while since something brought him joy, other than his beloved.

"Why did the Darksaber come up in conversation?" he asked, as he held her close, stroking her hair.

"I asked Sabine if anyone else can possess the Darksaber, besides us," Padme replied, as she wrapped her arms around him. "She said a relative of a former wielder could claim it."

When she said that, Kylo began to shake. This caught her attention.

"Ben, are you okay?" Padme asked, full of concern. Kylo closed his eyes.

"Does Sabine know of any relatives of former possessors?" his voice quivered.

"She said the Kryze family, but she assumed they were all dead."

"What do you mean assumed?"

"She said there was a rumor on Mandalore that Duchess Satine had a secret love child, a daughter, that only the family knew about."

"If only her family knew, how was it a rumor?"

"I don't know. Sabine said the daughter grew up, got into some trouble and left Mandalore pregnant."

Kylo's face went pale. Padme noticed and gently touched his cheek.

"Ben, talk to me. Your face looks as white as a ghost."

"Padme," Kylo began, as he swallowed his throat. He shouldn't tell her this. But if they were going to have a future together, he would have to start being honest with her. Even if he ended up losing her when it was all said and done.

He took a deep breath and said,

"It is not a rumor. It is true." Padme was surprised, but remained silent as he continued to speak.

"The Duchess did have a secret love child. Her daughter's name was Sobina. Sobina grew up and was put into a dangerous situation." Kylo began to cry as he spoke about the next part.

"She was raped by an opposing clan member, and found out she was pregnant. She had help escaping Mandalore, because if she didn't, she and the baby would die."

"What happened to her?" Padme questioned, wondering why Ben was so emotional.

"Unfortunately, Sobina died. But not before she gave birth to a baby boy."

"Ben, do you know what happened to the baby?"

"Padme," Kylo whispered, managing a weak smile. "I am the baby she gave birth to."

Padme was shocked, to say the least. She didn't say anything to him, which worried Kylo.

"You must be angry with me," she finally uttered. He gave her a puzzled look.

"Why? I just revealed my grandmother is the late Duchess of Mandalore, and you think I'm mad at you?" Kylo thought she would be mad at him for keeping this secret.

"You should have the Darksaber," Padme softly sighed, before bowing her head in shame. His heart felt compassion for her. She really thought he would be upset with her!

"Padme, look at me." She slowly lifted her head. "As I told you before, when you were on Mandalore, I am not worthy of possessing the Darksaber. I did not grow up there. I do not want it, and the Mandalorians would not accept me even if I did. Besides..." Kylo drew closer to her. "I have better things to do with you." He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss.

After the kiss, Padme asked,

"Since your grandmother was a Duchess, what would that make you, a prince?"

"I'm not sure," Kylo admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, you may be royalty, but that does not mean you get to boss me around."

"Oh really? You know you cannot disobey royalty." Kylo pulled Padme close, and reached down to her behind. He gave it a squeeze.

"I can and I will. Get your hand off of my butt." She was infuriated by his behavior. Did he forget about Hux's threat?

"I will remove my hand, only if..." Kylo thought, wondering what to say in order to keep his hand there. "You tell me something about your family." He smirked at her, knowing how private Padme was in terms about talking about them.

She trembled in Ben's arms. Whether it was because he refused to move his hand, or because of what he asked, she was not sure.

"I'm waiting," he teased her, both of his hands now on her behind. He was doing his best to not have his hands lift off her nightgown. How he wanted to see her naked again!

"You are so bad," Padme told him. "Fine, I concede. Guess what, prince boy? You're not the only one here that has royal blood in them." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're lying!" Kylo guessed. "You are just saying that so I will remove my hands. Nice try!"

"I am not lying," she insisted, as she stared straight at him. "If you do not remove your hands, then I will not tell you anything. But don't think you will be able to touch me ever again!"

Kylo immediately removed his hands. Padme meant what she said.

"Thank you," she cooed, relaxing in his embrace.

"So, are you a queen?" he asked, as he caressed her face.

"No, but I am a daughter of a princess," Padme confessed. "She no longer has her planet to rule over, but some people still call her Princess."

"And what is the name of this princess?" Kylo asked, before he nibbled on Padme's ear. She took a deep breath and replied,

"Her name is Leia Organa."


	25. Chapter 25

When he heard Leia Organa's name, Kylo stopped nibbling on Padme's ear, and pulled away from her.

"You're her daughter?" he gasped, in shock of what she had said.

"I am. I didn't want to tell you, in case Hux..." Padme tried to explain.

"Forget about Hux! You're Leia Organa's daughter! Everyone knows about her, her heroic actions against the Empire... But it makes sense. Now I know where you get your beauty and bravery from." Kylo kissed Padme.

"So are you now going to tell me your father is Han Solo?" Kylo lightly teased. Padme did not respond.

"Padme, I was joking," he added, thinking he offended her.

"It's true. Han Solo is my father," she confessed.

Kylo's eyes widened. Padme was the daughter of two of the most famous people in the galaxy! He felt intimidated, not worthy of her.

"Don't think that," Padme told him, knowing his thought. She leaned in and kissed him deeply. She wanted Ben to be reassured of her love for him.

"My prince," she softly cooed, before her lips found his neck.

"My princess," he replied. She moved from his neck back to his face. Their lips met again.

"Only kissing," Padme reminded Ben.

"Okay. But we are going to be kissing a lot!" She chuckled before they kissed.

After their make out session, Padme laid her head on Kylo's chest. She wished they could be like this forever.

"We will be like this, my princess. Once the war is over," Kylo promised her, as he kissed the top of her head.

"I know, but it seems so far from now," Padme moaned sadly. "Tomorrow, you will reveal where the Rebel base is, and the battle will rage on."

"I know. But as long as we stay safe, we will be fine. It's time for you to go, Padme. You will have a busy day, and you will need all of your strength."

"Goodnight, my prince," Padme said, before she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was in her bed at the base. She frowned, wishing she could have stayed with Ben longer.

She got dressed and put on the white hooded robe that was now her constant companion. Padme thought about Ben's revelation that he was Duchess Satine's grandson. He never met her, or the mother that died giving birth to him. Her heart broke, thinking about the way he was conceived. No wonder Ben was a private person! Padme vowed to let him know he much she loved him. She was honored that he had told her this secret. So it was not hard to tell him about her parents. But she couldn't tell Ben about Luke. If she got captured by Hux, and he found out they were related, he would use her to get to her uncle. Her uncle, who was still active, but eventually would not be.

Padme made her way to the infirmary. It was a two story building, and thankfully, there were no patients yet to attend to. She joined the two medics for breakfast. They said they were there just to check on the soldiers Padme would heal, and prepare those who died for burial. She saw from the window the Rebel soldiers march away to battle. The Mandalorians were flying in the sky, heading in the same direction.

As soon as they were out of sight, Padme felt an uneasiness come over her. She was startled to hear Ben's voice call out to her.

"Padme, get out of the building now!" Kylo cried desperately. She told the medics that they needed to leave. They ran out of the building. Padme was leading the way before a group of TIE fighters blew up the infirmary. The force of the explosion caused Padme to tumble to the ground. She looked back and saw the bodies of the medics, lying dead a few feet away.

She scrambled to her feet, and ran as fast as she could. The TIE fighters were trying to shoot her down! She grabbed her knapsack and pulled out Anikin Skywalker's lightsaber. Her eyes bulged in disbelief. The enemy was chasing her right into the middle of the battle!

"Padme, get out of here!" Luke screamed through the Force.

"They blew up the infirmary!" she responded back. "I barely made it out of there alive!"

"You're running right into the battle!"

"Padme, you have to go into the battle," Kylo told her. "If you run back, the TIE's will shoot you down!"

Padme remembered her idea that she wanted to try. It was risky, but what else did she have to lose now, besides her life?

"Ben, have the TIE's fly over the battlefield," she instructed him.

"Are you crazy? They will shoot everyone!" Kylo panicked.

"Ben, please just do this!" To Luke, she said,

"I am leading the TIE fighters into the battlefield. Have the Mandalorians ready to attack them."

"What about the Stormtroopers on the ground?" her uncle reminded her.

"When I am in sight, I want you and the rest of the Jedi to repeat what I say. It is time to pull off the biggest Jedi mind trick in history!" Padme exclaimed.

A minute later, she spoke to Luke and the Jedi saying,

"Tell the Stormtroopers they do not have to fight for the First Order anymore. They will be healed of all of their physical and emotional pain if they defect."

Luke thought his niece was crazy, but he and the rest of Jedi repeated what she said. Padme put the lightsaber away, and ran with her arms extended out. She went through the battlefield. At the same time, the Mandalorians were attacking the TIE's in the air. Padme saw from the corner of her eye many Stormtroopers laying down their weapons.

She ran until she collapsed. Padme was exhausted! Luke approached her and gave her a hug.

"You did it!" he told her, proud of what she has done. "Many of the Stromtroopers surrendered. The rest are fleeing in retreat."

"And the TIE fighters?" she weakly asked, needing to lean on Luke to be able to walk.

"All shot down. Thanks to you."

"Thank the Maker! But it wasn't just me. I couldn't mind trick everyone."

"Come, let's get back to the base."

"No, Luke. We need to get to the Legacy," Padme sternly told him, her face pale. "Starkiller Base is coming!"

They headed in the direction of the ship. Sabine flew over them. Padme was relieved to see she had survived the battle. Within minutes, the Legacy was amongst the many ships that escaped the planet before it was destroyed.

"I wish everyone was able to escape," Padme groaned sorrowfully. She went to sit in the co-captain's chair, but Sabine stood in her way.

"You are exhausted. You need to get some rest," the Mandalorian told her.

"She's right, Padme. Your Force energy is low. Go and get some well earned sleep," Luke added. She nodded and went to bed.

"I am so proud of you," she heard Ben tell her, as she closed her eyes.

"Will you be okay?" she asked. She was concerned about Ben being tortured.

"I think so. Hux ordered the TIE's to follow the mysterious figure in white."

"Ben, come meet with me."

"No. You need to rest. And I need to tell Hux where the next base is. But we will meet tonight, my love."

"See you tonight," Padme managed to say before falling asleep. When she woke up. her Force energy was renewed, and the Legacy was onto the next battle.

Although they argued about it, Padme insisted she could no longer stay in the infirmaries. The First Order would end up attacking them. Luke reluctantly agreed to allow Padme to enter battle. Not to fight, but to heal both the Rebels and the enemy, and to turn the enemy soldiers to the Rebels side. It wasn't always successful, but many of the Stormtroopers defected.

This did not please Hux, so he continued to kill innocents with Starkiller Base. Kylo did his part to help out Padme when he could. He dreaded the day when he could no longer tell where the Rebel bases were, for Hux would kill him.

Leia continued to pressure the Senate to finally declare war. It was a struggle, since the Senate was upset that the Outer Rim seceded and formed their own government. Han stood by Leia's side, for her protection. There had been a couple of assassination attempts against her, which were successfully thwarted. Ezra was training Caleb, and Chewbacca and Caleb's mom Herian began a romantic relationship.

Time past, and the Jedi began to pass away. It hurt Padme to see Luke suffer, from the emotional pain of losing his fellow Jedi, along with the physical pain he was experiencing in his body. He still refused to tell Han and Leia about his illness, which upset Padme. Sometimes she would have to make excuses as to why he could not speak to them.

Padme and Kylo continued to meet in their dreams. He was proud of her, but he was also afraid. Afraid of what would happen if the First Order ever captured her. They made sure they did not sleep with each other. Although they both desperately wanted to.

Padme cried, as she went to check up on her uncle. It had been ten months since the attack on Polis Masso. Her uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, was now the last Jedi.


	26. Chapter 26

"You need to tell Mom and Dad," Padme begged, as she placed a wet towel on Luke's forehead.

"No," he gasped weakly. "My place is here. I need to protect you, as long as I can."

"I can protect myself, Luke."

"Padme, please promise me you will not say anything to your parents. They will try to bring us back to Hosnian Prime. I just need to hold on a little while longer."

"Fine. But when I feel it is time, I will contact them and tell them the truth about your illness."

"Agreed. Only when the end is near. Now I need to get up. I have a meeting with Poe Dameron."

"No. You need to rest. I will meet with him."

Luke saw that Padme was not going to take no for an answer. So he nodded his head, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Padme made her way to the conference room and met with Poe. He was one of the best pilots the Rebels had. Many women fighting in the war had crushes on him.

"Ms. Desertwar, I'm Poe Dameron," Poe greeted her warmly, as they shook hands.

"Please, call me Padme," she insisted, as they sat down.

"Padme, I thought Luke was going to meet me."

"He was detained." She hated lying, but she did not know Poe. The only other person that knew Luke was sick was Ezra.

"I see. Well, I have good news. One of the Stormtroopers who defected is willing to go undercover and disable the shields."

"Can this Stormtrooper be trusted?"

"Absolutely. This past battle was his first time in combat. When he surrendered, we inspected his blaster. He never fired it. He had a clear shot to kill me, after I escaped my crashed ship. Instead, he helped me to hide until the battle was over."

"Where is the soldier now?"

"He is on Corellia. If you and Luke want to join me in heading there, to further question him, I have no problem with that."

"I will speak with Luke and let you know," Padme promised. She and Poe shook hands before leaving.

When she got back to Luke's room, he had woken up from his nap. Padme knew what she had to do, and she knew her uncle would not like it.

"What did Poe have to say?" Luke asked.

"He said there is a Stormtrooper in Corellia that is willing to sneak onto Starkiller Base and disable the shields," Padme explained. "This may be our chance to finally destroy this weapon."

"So when am I leaving with Poe?"

"I am going with Poe. You are staying here."

"Padme, it's too dangerous for you to go..."

"The trip will be too much for you. Besides, you need to stay here, with the Rebels. I will be back before you know it."

Luke saw that Padme was determined to go without him, so he decided not to argue further with her.

"Since you are going to Corellia, you might as well visit your parents. It's been a long time since you have seen them," Luke suggested.

"Mom will be busy, with the upcoming vote on whether to declare war. I hope the vote goes our way this time," Padme confessed.

"I hope so, too."

"I am going to contact Poe and let him know that I will accompany him to Corellia," Padme said, before kissing her uncle on the forehead.

"May the Force be with you," he uttered, before closing his eyes. It took all of Padme's strength to wait until she reached her room to break down in tears. She cried herself to sleep.

Kylo knew immediately she was upset when they met. He took Padme in his arms and embraced her tightly.

"What is wrong?" he whispered.

"It's Luke Skywalker," Padme muttered through her tears. "He's getting worse. Ben, I don't think he will survive much longer!"

Kylo did not know what to say. Although he had abandoned his quest for revenge against Luke and his family, he was still angry at Luke for hiding the truth from him. He still hated Vader for taking Padme as a prisoner when she was sixteen. But he held his peace and told her,

"I am sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just hold me and tell me we will win this war."

"We will win, Padme. The galaxy will be at peace, and we will finally be together." Kylo gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Ben, I leave with Poe Dameron in the morning, to head to Corellia..." Padme began to explain.

"Corellia? And with Poe Dameron?" Kylo growled, upset at what he heard.

"Why are you upset? We are going to speak to a Stormtrooper that can disable the shields." She was puzzled by Ben's reaction.

"Why are you going with Poe? Why isn't Luke going with you?"

"Luke is very sick, and he needs to stay with the Rebels. Why..." Padme paused. before realizing the reason why he was upset.

"You're jealous! You're jealous of Poe Dameron!" she exclaimed.

"I am not!" Kylo denied.

"Yes, you are! Ben, you have nothing to worry about. My eyes and my heart belong to you." She wrapped her arms around him. Kylo relaxed when she said this. He knew that many women had a crush on the pilot.

"If he tries anything..." he warned.

"He won't. Even if he did, I can take care of myself."

"You are right. I am jealous. Poe gets to see you in real life, not just in dreams." Kylo leaned in and gave Padme a soft kiss.

"We will also be in the Core Worlds," he said. "Hux is worried that the Senate will declare war. If the entire galaxy stands up against him, the First Order will be defeated."

"If they declare war. They didn't the last time," Padme grumbled.

"Just be careful and leave Corellia as soon as you can."

"I will." They kissed before parting ways.

The next morning, Padme and Poe headed to Corellia. She contacted her mother to let her know that after she was finished in Corellia, she would come to Hosnian Prime for a visit.

"That's wonderful!" Leia exclaimed. "When you get here, your father and I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" her daughter wondered curiously.

"I'm not telling you until you get here. But you will like it, I am sure."

"All right. I guess I will have to wait until then. I will let you know when I leave Corellia."

Leia smiled after she finished speaking with Padme. Han came into the room. He had just come from visiting Chewbacca and Herian.

"Hi, sweetheart," Han said to Leia. "Did you contact Padme?"

"Yes. She is actually going to Corellia, to meet with a Stormtrooper that can take down the shields. After her meeting, she is coming here," Leia joyfully stated.

"Really?" Han's eyes lit up. "Do you think she will make it in time for the wedding?"

"I didn't tell her. I wanted it to be a surprise." Leia wrapped her arms around Han. "She has been hoping that we would get back together. And here we are, about to be married!"

"She wasn't the only one," Han confessed, bringing his hand to his beloved's face. "I never stopped loving you, Leia. And now, I never will." They kissed each other.

"It's getting late," he said. clearing his throat. "We should get to bed."

"But I'm not tired," Leia told him. Suddenly, Han scooped her up in his arms.

"Neither am I," he grinned mischievously. Leia smiled back, as Han took her to the bedroom and made love to her.


	27. Chapter 27

Padme and Poe arrived at Corellia. They travelled deep into the jungle to meet with FN-2187, or Finn, as Poe called the former Stormtrooper.

"Nice to meet you, Finn," Padme greeted him. "Poe told me you can take down the shields on Starkiller Base."

"I can, but I need a new identity. I will need permission to land there," Finn explained.

"I can get you the new identity." Finn smiled, thinking to himself that he could do something good with his life.

The three of them headed back towards the ship. Padme had left her white hooded robe there. It was too hot to be wearing it in the jungle.

She felt uneasy as they were walking. She heard Ben call out to her.

"Padme, get to the ship quickly! The First Order is on the planet, looking for you and your friends!" Kylo warned her.

"Guys, we need to run. NOW!" Padme told them. Finn looked over his shoulder, and saw a legion of Stormtroopers heading towards them.

"How did they find us?" he wondered nervously, as they ran.

"I don't know," Padme responded. "Poe, please take this." She handed him the knapsack containing her grandfather's lightsabers.

They ran until they saw a problem ahead of them. There was a chasm now separating the ship they flew in from their current location.

"How are we going to get across?" Poe cried in shock. They had come so far, and now they were about to be captured!

"Poe, my knapsack has two lightsabers in it. I will get you and Finn to the ship. Use the lightsabers in case the enemy attacks," Padme explained.

"But what about..." Finn began to say. But he was not able to finish his statement. Padme used the Force to lift the two men in the air and across the chasm. They landed safely by the ship.

Padme was glad the men made it safely across. However, the Stormtroopers quickly approached her.

"Don't move!" a Stormtrooper shouted to her. Padme obeyed, knowing that she could not escape. Her Force power was weak because it took a lot to get Finn and Poe to the ship.

"Turn around and raise your hands!" the soldier grunted. Nervously, Padme turned around. The legion fired their weapons at her. She could not stop them from shooting at her.

Padme's eyes widened when she saw the shots frozen in the air. They came back and struck down the legion. She fell to her knees, in shock over what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" she heard a familiar voice ask her. She looked up, and saw Kylo Ren! He helped her to her feet.

"No," she said, shaking. Although he saved her life, they were still in danger.

"Are you hurt? Ben sent me to rescue you."

"Kylo, you need to arrest me!" Padme blurted out, not believing herself the words coming out of her mouth.

"Arrest you? Why?" Kylo asked in confusion.

"Please, just put the handcuffs on me! Your life will be spared if he sees you arrest me!"

"Hux!" Kylo hissed angrily. He didn't want to do this, but Padme was right. Hux was heading towards them, with a legion of Stormtroopers.

"Kylo Ren, why are you off of the ship?" Hux yelled from afar.

"I am sorry," Kylo moaned, as he placed the special handcuffs on Padme. "I will find a way for you to escape."

"You better have a good reason..." Hux growled at him, but stopped in his tracks. Kylo was not alone. He had a prisoner in his custody. But it wasn't just any prisoner. It was the girl, the one who united Mandalore!

"Very impressive, Kylo Ren. Come, we will take her to the ship!" Hux evilly stated, as he stared at Padme. He hated her, but she was lovely to look at. He was going to take great pleasure in having his way with her.

"Ben, help me! I've been captured by the First Order!" Padme cried out in the Force. But there was no response. Kylo could not reply back, because she would know he was Ben. And if Hux knew she knew, he would be dead, and she would be forced to be Hux's lover, or worse.

They boarded the Finalizer. Hux made Kylo take Padme to the holding cell. She knew it was the same cell Ben had been tortured in. The general locked them in.

"I will be back. Don't even think about trying to escape!" Hux warned them before leaving.

"Padme, I am so sorry," Kylo told her.

"It's not your fault," she reassured him. "You saved my life twice. Do you know where Ben is?"

"Hux has him imprisoned somewhere else," Kylo quickly lied.

"Oh Maker!" Padme sat on the cot and trembled in fear. "This is not good. I don't have the strength to try and escape!"

"The Stormtroopers would shoot you down, anyway. That's how Hux captured Ben and I."

"Be honest with me, Kylo. What is Hux going to do to me?"

"I am not sure. He hates you, but in a twisted way, he also desires you."

"Desires me?" At that moment, they heard the cell door open. Hux came in, and gave a box to Kylo.

"Make sure she changes. When she is ready, the guards will take you both to the interrogation room," Hux commanded his masked prisoner. He pointed up to the security camera.

"Watch her get changed, Kylo!" he added maliciously, before locking the door behind him. Kylo gave the box to Padme and said,

"I will turn my back, to give you privacy."

"No," she replied, as she stood and pointed to the security camera. "He will torture you if you don't watch. One of us has to survive this."

"Don't talk like that. We will find a way out of this. But you do have to change. It will be worse for you if you don't."

He gave Padme the box, and watched her. She was right. He knew Hux's thought,

"I will kill you both if you do not watch her undress!"

Padme opened the box. She pulled out a white silky robe. Then she pulled out a very sheer negligee and matching panties. She shook in fear as she took off her clothes and put on the lingerie set.

Kylo was upset. Hux was sick, forcing him to watch Padme undress. He obviously wanted to see her naked again, but not under these circumstances!

Padme cried as she undressed and put on the negligee and panties. She was sick to her stomach at how revealing the outfit was. She faced Kylo.

"Is this what female prisoners normally wear?" she asked nervously, as she put the robe on.

"No, not until..." Kylo tried to say, without breaking down.

"Not until what? Kylo, tell me!"

"Not until Hux is intimate with them." When Padme heard this, she sat on the bed in terror.

"He's going to make you watch, isn't he? Kylo, I can't! If Ben finds out..." she panicked.

"Ben already knows." He liked how Padme looked, but she should not have to be forced to wear the lingerie!

"He will make you take off the robe once we get to the interrogation room," Kylo softly warned her.

It took all of Padme's strength to not break down. She and Ezra had nightmares about this happening.

She called out to Ezra, to see if he could rescue her. She did not call out to her mom or to her uncle. Padme was not going to put them in danger of being captured by Hux.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it too," Kylo uttered in sympathy. His heart was broken. If he could kill Hux without Padme getting hurt, he would. But they were surrounded by Stormtroopers, deeply brainwashed to do the general's bidding.

Padme could only nod. She was not angry at Kylo. He was as much of a prisoner as she was. A Stormtrooper suddenly banged on the door, which caused Padme to flinch.

"In a minute!" Kylo barked angrily. To Padme's mind, he said,

"It is time."

"Kylo, please try to contact Ben. I can't reach him! I need to say goodbye to him!" Padme replied silently.

"Don't talk like that..."

"Please! I need you to do this." Kylo reluctantly nodded his head.

"Also, I need you to get a new identity for a former Stormtrooper. You know him as FN-2187. He is willing to disable the shields, but he has to go undercover."

"I will," Kylo promised. The Stormtrooper banged on the door again. Kylo gently took Padme's arm and told the guard they were ready. The soldier unlocked the door.

"May the Force be with you," Kylo whispered to Padme, before the Stormtrooper escorted them to the interrogation room.


	28. Chapter 28

Back on Hosnian Prime, the Senate voted whether to go to war against the First Order. This time, Leia rejoiced when she heard the news that the vote went in their favor. Finally, after three tries, the entire galaxy would be fighting against the enemy.

She embraced Han, Chewbacca and Herian after the news was announced. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Leia walked over and opened it.

It was the minister that was going to marry both Han and Leia, and Chewy and Herian, tomorrow. His name was Alshat Lightningold.

"Alshat!" Leia exclaimed, as she let him in. "We were not expecting to see you until tomorrow!"

"I know," the minister said to the two couples. "The Senate is asking for any ex-military members to re-enlist to fight against the Order. I will be leaving tomorrow."

"So you won't be able to marry us?" Han questioned. Chewy grunted in annoyance.

"Patience, my love," Herian told the Wookiee. He calmed down when she gently touched his hand.

"I will marry you all, right now!" Alshat replied. Everyone was surprised to hear this.

"I feel bad. Our families are not here..." Leia began to say.

"I think they will be okay if we get married tonight," Han offered. "We will see everyone except for Luke tomorrow. Chewy, Herian, what do you think?"

Chewbacca nodded his head in agreement, giving Herian a kiss on her forehead. He said something softly to her.

"I can't wait to be yours, either," the Twilek woman whispered back to him.

"Sweetheart, it is up to you," Han said to Leia. She glanced at Chewy and Herian, then focused back on Han.

"Let me contact them to let them know we are getting married tonight," Leia told them. Everyone was happy when she said this.

She walked away from them, and reached out to Ezra through the Force. He and Caleb had just left Ilum, and Ezra was flying the Ghost. Caleb had found the kyber crystal that would go into the lightsaber he was going to build for himself.

"Ezra, the minister that is marrying us is going to marry us now," Leia explained. "He is going to re-enlist. The Senate voted to go to war."

"I see," Ezra uttered. He had heard Padme's cry for help. but suspected Leia didn't know that her daughter was in danger.

"Caleb!" he said to his young padawan. "Your mom and Chewy, along with Han and Leia, are getting married tonight. The minister is going to join the fight against the Order."

The little boy pouted at first. He wanted to see his mom in her wedding dress. But he liked Chewy, and they would see each other soon.

"Ms. Organa, please tell my mom and Chewy that I love them, and that I want them to see my kyber crystal," Caleb said to Leia through the Force.

"Of course, and you can call me Leia," she told him. He nodded his head.

"I need to contact Luke and Padme to let them know," Leia mentioned to Ezra.

"You contact Luke. I will contact Padme," Ezra said.

"But I want to talk with her..."

"Leia, it's fine. I am on my way to pickup her up. I will reach out to her. You will see her soon, I promise."

"Thank you, Ezra. I must go speak to Luke, and then the minister wants to start the ceremony."

"We will see you soon. Congratulations to everyone."

Ezra dropped the Force connection. He looked at Caleb, who had a sad look on his face.

"Don't worry. We will be in Hosnian Prime tomorrow," he reassured his padawan.

"I am not worried about Mom or Chewy. I'm worried about Padme!" the boy confessed, trying not to cry.

"You heard her cry for help, too?" Ezra marveled. Caleb nodded his head, then allowed the tears to fall. Ezra opened his arms, and the boy crawled onto his master's lap.

"General Hux has her, doesn't he?"

"He does. We will go and rescue her. But you need to listen to everything I tell you, okay? Even if I tell you to run, you must run without hesitation. Promise?"

"I promise." Caleb clung onto Ezra, scared of what was to come. Ezra hoped that history would not repeat itself for a third time. He contacted Luke to let him know what happened to Padme.

Leia reached out to her brother. Luke was happy for both couples, but worried about Padme. He did not tell his sister what happened. Leia would not be able to help, anyway. Luke tried to gather his strength, to join Ezra. But his body was too weak.

"Ezra, please make sure you bring her home!" Luke begged him, after he finished his conversation with Leia. "Her parents will never forgive me if..."

"Don't even say it, Luke. She will be rescued, I promise you," Ezra replied, before dropping the Force connection. Caleb was sitting next to him, in the co-captain's chair.

"Ezra, why did Luke say that Padme's parents will never forgive him?" the boy asked out loud.

"Caleb, you should not be listening into people's private conversations," Ezra scolded him, amazed that his young padawan knew what he and Luke were discussing. Caleb closed his eyes, using the Force to find the answer to his question.

"Luke is sad because he is Padme's uncle," the boy uttered. Ezra looked at him in amazement, that he was able to discern the truth.

"Leia is his sister," Caleb added.

"The Force has revealed this to you, Caleb. But you must not tell anyone about this. Only Padme, Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca and I know the truth. Promise me you will not say anything, not even to your mom," his master warned him.

"I promise. Hux will hurt Padme if he knew Luke was her uncle," Caleb stated solemnly.

"Don't be afraid, young one. He will never find out."

Padme and Kylo entered the interrogation room. They were surrounded by Stormtroopers. Next to the interrogation apparatus stood General Hux. Padme glanced at Kylo before a couple of soldiers placed him against the wall. Two other soldiers held Padme by her arms as they brought her closer to Hux. She did her best not to quake in fear.

"Take the robe off of our guest and strap her in," Hux commanded. He stared at Padme as the Stormtroopers took off the robe. She felt exposed in the sheer lingerie she was wearing. They placed her on the apparatus, the same one Ben had been questioned on.

To the Stormtroopers that had restrained Padme, Hux whispered to them,

"Stay outside, in case they try to escape." Out loud, he told them to leave.

He approached Kylo and warned him,

"Do not try to play the hero. They will shoot to kill if either of you try to escape. But since you are concerned about her, you may stay to watch the interrogation."

"You bastard!" Kylo thought to himself. "If you harm her, I will kill you!"

Padme could feel Kylo's anger towards Hux. She tried to reach out to Ben via the Force, but he was not responding. She tried to speak to Kylo's mind. But he was not responding, either.

"Speak to me!" Padme pleaded with Kylo through the Force. But Kylo refused. If he spoke now, she would know he was Ben. And if Hux found out she knew, they could both die.

Padme was focused on trying to speak to Kylo. She did not realize until it was too late a syringe being injected into her arm. She looked up and saw Hux with the needle in his hand. His icy blue eyes stared into hers.

"NO!" Kylo screamed in terror, knowing that Padme was injected with the truth serum.

"Calm down, Kylo. She is not harmed by the injection, for now," Hux told him, as he continue to gaze at Padme.


	29. Chapter 29

"The girl I heard so much about!" Hux said to Padme, as he touched her cheek. She tried to pull away from his touch, but he was too quick. She read his mind.

"And I will know everything about you after this interrogation is over. I will know you in every single possible way," he thought to himself.

"My dear," Hux began. "I have given you an injection, which has two serums." He stared at the lovely girl, who had chestnut brown eyes and blue eyes.

"No," Kylo moaned in desperation. One of the serums was the truth serum, but what about the other one? He tried to break free, but the Stromtroopers held a tight grip on him.

Hux ignored Kylo, and placed his other hand on Padme's other cheek. He made her look at him. She tried not to be frightened by his touch.

Hux was about to say something to Padme when a First Order captain called him over the intercom.

"Yes?" he hissed, annoyed that he was being interrupted.

"General, the weapon is fully charged," the voice told him.

"Excellent. When I give the command, fire it at full power."

Hux pulled away from Padme, and walked towards a large screen. He turned to face the girl and deviously said,

"You and Kylo Ren have the privilege to see Starkiller Base fire at maximum power. Now what system should be destroyed?"

On Hosnian Prime, the minister had finished marrying Han and Leia, and Chewbacca and Herian. They hugged and kissed their new spouses.

"My dear, did you hear the big news from the Galactic Senate?" Hux asked Padme. She shook her head no.

"Today, the Senate voted to declare war against me," he stated. Padme felt his anger.

"Get off Hosnian Prime now!" Kylo screamed through the Force. He knew Padme's parents were there.

"No!" Luke shouted, hearing Kylo's warning. "Leia, you need to get everyone off the planet, now!"

"Oh no!" Ezra mumbled, as he tried to fly the Ghost as fast as he could.

"Mommy!" Caleb cried, as he foresaw what was about to happen.

"The weapon, it's firing at us..."Leia gasped.

"No!" Padme screamed, as she saw Starkiller Base fire. The entire Hosnian system, including Hosnian Prime, was destroyed. Hux stared at Padme, but she could only look in horror at the screen. They were gone in a flash. Her parents, Chewy and Herian. Along with billions of innocent lives.

"Mommy!" Caleb wailed, as Ezra held him. There were no words he could say to comfort the little boy. He felt the loss of Padme's family, and especially grieved over Herian.

Luke had to sit down. from the emotional pain of losing Leia, Han and Chewy. He was hurt by the fact he could do nothing to stop the attack.

Padme heard Caleb crying over his mom. The poor boy! He was so young to have his mother murdered in cold blood. She was relieved to know that Ezra was with him. She could also hear Luke weeping in sorrow. Padme wished she could cry. But seeing her family killed before her eyes was too much for her.

"How could you!" she growled at Hux. "You just murdered billions of innocent lives!"

He walked over to Padme, and said with fury in his eyes,

"They were not innocent. They declared war. So if the galaxy wants itself destroyed, then I will destroy it!"

Padme turned her face away, but Hux placed his hand under her chin and made her face him.

"You killed men, women, children! Have you no shame?"

"I will do anything to get what I want," the general whispered, as he traced Padme's cheek. She felt a strange yet pleasant sensation when he did that. Her body was reacting to his touch. Hux grinned. The other serum was starting to work.

"Leave her alone!" Kylo shouted at Hux.

"Shut up, or I will throw you out!" Hux screamed at him. This caused Padme to tremble. Hux focused his attention back on her.

"Why do you look so sad, my dear?" he asked her. He wanted to know if the truth serum was working as well.

"My family and friends were on Hosnian Prime," she angrily responded.

"I offer my condolences. Despite what you may think, I do not want to cause you harm."

"Liar! All you want is to conquer and destroy the galaxy!"

"Actually, that is not all I want," Hux thought to himself. "I want you, my dear."

Padme tried her best to not be afraid, even though she knew Hux's thought. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She unsuccessfully tried to shrug him off.

"I just want to know more about my lovely guest here," Hux said softly. "I will ask you some questions. As long as you tell me the truth, you will be fine. But if you lie, your body will be shocked. I would suggest you tell the truth." He then stroked Padme's hair. He could not wait to have the girl in his bed.

"Ben, where are you?" Padme thought to herself.

"Are you ready to answer my questions?" Hux asked. He desperately wanted her, but there would be time later to touch her.

Against her will, Padme had no choice but to nod her head in agreement. To Kylo, she said to his mind,

"Is there anything you can do to stop this?" But he refused to answer her. She felt his guilt and shame for the predicament she was in.

"Very good," Hux uttered, a big smile on his face. The girl was not only beautiful, but she was smart. She knew cooperating with him would be her best chance of surviving. He grabbed his datapad, and pulled a chair next to Padme. He gazed at the lingerie set she was wearing. He wanted to take it off and have sex with her right there, but he needed to know more information about Mand'alor.

"Tell me your name, my dear," Hux began the questioning. Padme remained silent. But the truth serum was causing her discomfort. There was no way she could lie about who she was.

"Padme," she managed to say, as she stared at Hux.

"I need your last name, too. Don't try to resist, it will only increase your discomfort."

Padme felt Kylo's anger and sympathy for her. But he could nothing for her. No one could. So she made a difficult decision. She cut off all her Force connections, and focused on entering Hux's mind. She needed to find out where he was holding Ben, so that she could say goodbye to him.

She took a deep breath, and said,

"My name is Padme Shmi Desertwar."

When Hux heard the girl's full name, he almost dropped his datapad. It couldn't be! Mand'alor was Padme Desertwar, Ben's girl? He expected her to be shocked, but she wasn't.

"Why did you tell him the truth?" Kylo nervously called out to Padme through the Force. But she did not respond to him.

It took a moment for Hux to realize what Padme had just revealed. Then he flashed an evil smile. This was going to fun, interrogating her!


	30. Chapter 30

"After almost two years, I finally get to meet you!" Hux told Padme, as he typed her name in his datapad. "Do you know how much manpower I used trying to track you down?"

"Well, I'm here!" Padme uttered gruffly.

"You are, my dear. And here is where you will stay."

"People will come looking for me..."

"I anticipate this. I assure you, they will get nowhere near you. Now back to business. How old are you, Padme?"

"I will be eighteen in less than two months." Hux was delighted. The girl was young. Padme knew his thoughts, and they were full of all the different ways he would have his way with her.

"Padme, did you unite all of Mandalore by possessing the Darksaber?" Hux asked, officially starting the interrogation.

"You know the answer, Hux!" she snapped at him.

"Just answer the question," he demanded of her.

"Yes. I possessed the Darksaber, and united Mandalore to fight against the First Order."

"Stop tell him everything!" Kylo unsuccessfully tried to speak to Padme's mind.

"How did you come to possess the Darksaber?" Hux continued.

"I reached out and grabbed it, using the Force," Padme replied.

"So you are Force Sensitive?"

"Yes. But I think you knew that already."

"Watch your tone. You want to stay alive after questioning, don't you?" Hux cleared his throat, conveying to Padme that his veiled threat was serious.

"How did you help out the Rebels, Padme?"

Kylo tried again to speak to Padme's mind, but she refused to even look at him.

"I would use my Force powers to heal the soldiers, so that they could go back out into battle." Again, Hux almost dropped his datapad.

"So you were the one under the white hooded robe?"

"Yes" Hux grinned menacingly. He knew exactly the next question to ask her.

"So it was you who testified to the Senate about the attacks on Polis Masso and Mandalore, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct." Padme hated telling the truth, but she needed to. She needed to find out where Ben was. If she was going to die, she wanted to break off their Force bond, so that he would live even if she didn't.

"What happened on Dantooine? How did you help there?"

"I healed not only the Rebels, but Stormtroopers as well. I told them to leave the Order. And many of them did," Padme said, with a smirk on her face.

"Too bad there are not here to rescue you," Hux taunted back, reminding her of who was in control. She swallowed her throat as Hux continued.

"What were you doing on Corellia?"

"I was meeting with a former Stormtrooper, who knows how to disable the shields on Starkiller Base. He, along with the pilot that accompanied me, had to flee for our lives because you found us."

"Why were we not able to capture them?" Hux wondered curiously. The TIE fighters had fired and made a chasm, so that they could not get to their ship.

"Because I used the Force to fly them safely to the other side."

"I see." Padme knew that Hux was angry yet impressed by her power.

"My dear," he went on. "There is plenty of evidence to charge you with treason. Do you know what the punishment for treason is?"

"If I get free, I'm going to kill you!" Kylo hissed to himself.

"Yes, " Padme replied to Hux, closing her eyes in fear. "The punishment for treason is death."

"You are correct. Padme, open your eyes and look at me," the general commanded, as he put the datapad down. He stood from his chair. Padme had no other option but to look up at him.

"The other serum you were injected with contains a deadly aphrodisiac. If you do not have sex by this time tomorrow, you will die," Hux calmly explained to the girl.

Kylo struggled furiously to try and escape the Stormtroopers, to no avail. How dare Hux do this to the woman he loved! The general was distracted by the fuss Kylo was making.

"Cuff him to the wall!" Hux told the soldiers. The Stormtroopers obeyed, and Kylo could not escape the restraints he was in.

"That's much better," Hux said, as he turned his attention back to Padme. He wished the interrogation was over, so that he could sleep with her. But first, she needed to submit herself to him.

"Padme, no matter what you may think, I do not want to see you die," Hux told her, as he began to caress her arm.

"Please stop touching me!" Padme begged, as she tried to fight the effects of the aphrodisiac.

"No, my dear. You need to be touched. Many men have desired you, I am sure. But in the end, only one man with have you. And that man is me."

"Not if I have anything to see about it!" Kylo growled. He kept trying to speak to Padme's mind, but she refused to acknowledge him.

"No!" Padme said, turning her face away from Hux. "I would rather die than be anything to you!" He took his hand and made Padme face him.

"Do not turn your face away again," he warned her, as he traced the side of her face. He could tell she was frightened. It was time to change his tactics, so that he could get what he wanted, which was Padme.

"Padme, I know you are telling me the truth when you say that. I ask you to reconsider, for Ben's sake," Hux said in a gentler tone.

Hearing Ben's name caused Padme to tear up. She knew what Hux was going to say next, and braced herself for it.

"Padme, if you refuse me, not only will you die, but Ben will die as well. You love him, don't you?" She nodded her head.

"If you love him, then spare your life and his. Give yourself to me," Hux whispered in her ear.

"I can't!" she cried, as she trembled in fear.

"You can. Ben submitted himself to me, to protect you. Shouldn't you do the same for him?" Hux held her head in his hands.

"You bastard!" Kylo screamed. Hux ignored his outburst, and explained to Padme,

"If you submit yourself to me, Ben will not be harmed. You will never see him again, but you will be allowed to keep in touch with him." The general swung his body, so that he was top of her.

"For the one day I will be alive!" Padme snapped, part angry and part terrified.

"No, my dear. You are not like the rest. You are honest, brave, powerful and beautiful. When the galaxy falls into my hands, I will declare myself Emperor. As Emperor, I will need an Empress to reign with me."

Padme read Hux's mind. He was telling the truth. She and Ben would not die if she gave herself to Hux. She did not want her nightmares about the general to become reality.

"Padme, I could easily take you right now," Hux whispered softly to her. "But I want this to be your decision. I know you were a prisoner of Emperor Vader's. I'm sure he scared you. I do not want you to be scared. I see how much you care for people, especially Ben. You have saved many lives. All I ask is that you save one more life, Ben's."

"Please, I can't! It will kill him if he finds out I'm with you!" Padme pleaded, as Hux began to nibble on her ear. Her body, because of the aphrodisiac, could not help but to feel pleasure when he did that.

"I'm more concerned about keeping you alive." He moved his lips from her ear to her cheek. She heard his thought.

"Your body is responding to my touch. Soon, you will forget about your precious Ben. Don't be a fool. Spare your life and Ben's."

Hux stated out loud to Padme,

"I captured you, my dear. As I said before, I can have my way with you right now. But I am offering you an opportunity to truly exert the power that you have. A new start in life. A new family to create. You loved your family, I can see that. I know you want to have children. I can be the father of your children."

Hux released the hand restraints off of Padme. She was still bound by her legs and feet. His lips moved very close to hers.

"Before you give me an answer, let me give you a little taste of what life with me would be like," he added, before leaning in and kissing Padme. As the general continued to kiss her, she realized there was a way to avoid being intimate with Hux.

When he broke the kiss, Padme looked into his blue eyes and bravely said,

"I cannot submit myself to you. Both of us would be in violation of your own rule." Her hands caressed his face.

"What rule?" Hux asked curiously, as he was getting aroused by her touch.

"The rule that says female prisoners are to be intimate with the soldier that captured them."

"No!" Kylo cried to himself, realizing what Padme was implying. "Padme, don't say it, please!"

Padme mischievously smiled at Hux and reminded him,

"You did not capture me. Kylo Ren did."


	31. Chapter 31

Padme felt the fury in Hux's body, as he lifted his head and stared angrily at Kylo. She was finally able to freely access his mind. His next thought took her by complete surprise.

"I should have killed you Ben, when I had the chance!" was what she heard.

He called Kylo Ben. Kylo was Ben, her Ben! Now she understood. He did not respond to her because he knew if Hux found out she knew Ben and Kylo were the same person, Ben would die and she would be forced to be the general's lover, or worse.

Ben did not hear what Hux had thought. He was truly terrified for Padme's safety. He wanted to yell at her to stop speaking, but he couldn't. He was the reason why she was strapped down, nearly naked and afraid of what Hux would do to her.

Padme knew she needed to formalize a plan of escape with Ben. But she could not do so while still bound to the interrogation apparatus.

"General Hux, I think we can reach a compromise, and we will both get what we want," Padme told her captor. Hux focused his attention back on her.

"How so?" he asked, as he caressed her arms. Trying to ignore the pleasure it was giving her, Padme replied,

"Let me sleep with Kylo Ren tonight. Then, if he does not want me, I will be your lover and bear your children."

"And what do you want in return?"

"I want Ben set free, to no longer work for the First Order."

"No, Padme!" Kylo cried out to her through the Force.

"I cannot do that. Ben reveals where the Rebel bases are for me," Hux mentioned.

"General," Padme whispered, as she leaned closer to him. "I can replace Ben. I can reveal where the bases are." She then started to kiss his neck. Hux let out a soft moan. After a minute of her lips being on him, he gently pushed her back and asked,

"You would be willing to do this, if I let Ben go?"

"Yes," she admitted. Hux saw that she was not shocked when she said this. He smiled at her and said,

"Ok. You can be with Kylo Ren tonight. But if he is not pleased with you, then you are mine. Once you submit yourself to me, I will free Ben, and then you will take his position. Are we in agreement, my dear?"

"Yes." Padme gave him a small smile, even though she wanted to kill him.

"Let's seal this deal with a kiss." Hux placed a soft kiss on Padme's lips. He crawled off of her and released her from the restraints.

"I got you," he added, as she almost lost her balance getting off the interrogation apparatus. To be able to touch, even just to keep her from falling, made the general desire her even more.

"Release him from the restraints," Hux commanded the Stormtroopers. They released Kylo.

"Come hold my future Empress," the general told them. As they held Padme, Hux walked over to Kylo and softly warned him,

"Remember the serum. If you do not sleep with her, she will die. And if she dies, so will you."

Kylo could only nod his head. Somehow, Hux was going to pay for all the evil he committed against him and Padme. It took all of his willpower to not choke him now!

The general walked back to Padme. He caressed her cheek and told her,

"Remember what I said, Padme. If he is not pleased with you, then you are mine." He gave her a soft smile.

"Take them to Kylo Ren's quarters!" he demanded. The soldiers escorted Ben and Padme out of the room. After they left, Hux picked up the discarded robe Padme had worn before the interrogation.

"Soon, my dear, you will be in my bed," Hux thought to himself. "Once you find out Kylo Ren is actually Ben Kryze, your poor heart will be broken. And I will be there to pick up the pieces!"

A few minutes later, Padme and Kylo entered his quarters. She knew Ben would be upset with her for what she did, but she had no choice. They needed to think of an escape plan without Hux being around.

"Are you insane?" Ben yelled at her. "Do you think Hux will hold up his end of the deal?"

"I do, KYLO," Padme emphasized. "You saw how badly he wants me as his lover. Hux is a narcissist to the core!"

"So now what? I am suppose to make love to you? Do you really think Hux will give up on having you, if I keep you?"

Padme glanced around the room, and saw security cameras everywhere. Then she had an idea.

"Excuse me," she uttered, almost pushing Ben aside. She entered the bathroom, and looked all around. There were no security cameras. She and Ben could have complete privacy.

"Come here," she motioned to Ben. "There are no cameras in the bathroom."

He did not want to, but he saw the determination in Padme's eyes. So he joined her in the bathroom. Ben locked the door behind him and turned to face her.

Padme quickly pressed herself against Ben. This took him off guard. How he wanted her! She looked amazing in that lingerie set she was wearing.

"Padme," Ben began to protest, as she started to touch his chest.

"You want me," she cooed.

"No, Ben..." Padme's hands went to his neck.

"Don't fight it. I want you, too."

"That's the drug talking. You were just kissing Hux a minute ago!"

Padme continued to touch Ben. He felt his private area ache for her.

"Padme, please! This is not right. Think of Ben!" he begged her.

"I am thinking of Ben. I always think of him," she uttered softly. She continued to touch his body.

"I am safe when I am in his arms. I want him to know he is safe in mine," Padme added, as she reached to touch Ben's mask.

"Padme," he groaned, not really wanting her to stop what she was doing.

"Ben, please take off your mask, so that I can kiss you," she sweetly said.

Ben was stunned. She knew! But how...

"I will tell you how later. Please remove your mask, so that I can finally see your face," Padme insisted.

She pulled her hands away, so that he could take off the mask. He laid it gently on the ground. Then he kissed her.

"You are even more handsome in person," Padme confessed, as her hand touched his cheek.

"My princess, you are even more beautiful," Ben replied, gazing at the woman he loved. "I am sorry about your parents and your friends." Ben drew Padme into a tight embrace.

"Caleb's mom also died. That poor little boy!" Padme tried fighting back the tears. "Thank the Maker he is with Ezra. But my parents and his mom died happy. There was a double wedding I missed." She weakly smiled at that thought.

"Again, I am so sorry..."

"I know, Ben. You understand. You saw Mandalore blow up."

"But it's different. All my relatives are dead. Yours were still alive, until Hux..."

"Can we not talk about Hux for now? We will make a plan to escape, but for now..." Padme said, as she tugged at Ben' shirt. "We need to make love to each other."

Ben grinned, before kissing Padme.

"I wish this was Naboo," he confessed, as he pulled away from her. He began to undress.

"I told you before, I will be with you anywhere you are," Padme reminded him. She approached Ben and started kissing his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Padme, if you don't want to do this..."

"We must. This drug is real. My body was reacting when Hux touched and kissed me. I will die if this doesn't happen." She knew Ben's concern.

"Ben, you are not your father. You are not forcing yourself on me. I want to make love to you. And I know you want this, too," Padme reassured him, before she grabbed his underwear and pulled it down. He stepped out of them, and she stepped back to gaze at his naked body.

"I guess I should go make the bed," Ben offered, hoping Padme was pleased by what she saw.

"No, Ben. Our first time will be here, where I can get to wash that gorgeous body of yours," she replied, pointing to the shower.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Remember you said that cold showers didn't help you, because you would imagine me there with you? Now you no longer have to imagine."

Ben grabbed her and passionately kissed her. He pulled away momentarily as he went to turn on the shower. They made out as the water warmed up.

He stepped into the shower first. The water was nice and warm.

"Come in, my love," Ben beckoned her. Padme approached, and he helped her take off the negligee and panties. He enjoyed staring at her nude body as Padme joined him in the shower. Finally, the moment they had been waiting for had arrived.


	32. Chapter 32

Padme and Ben took turns washing each other's hair, then washing their bodies.

"Ben, please..." she moaned, feeling herself getting wet, and not from the water.

"Patience, my love," he whispered in her ear, as he reached to detach the extra shower head. It was a hand held one.

"Lay back against the wall," Ben told Padme. She did, curious as to what he was going to do with the shower head.

"You will see," he teased lightly, a sly smile on his face. He turned it on. Once water was coming out of it, he drew close to Padme. He held her face with one hand, and the shower head was in his other hand. He slowly brought it down to Padme's private area.

"Oh Ben!" Padme moaned, as the water caressed her there. The aphrodisiac was really kicking in! She laid her head on his shoulder, trembling at the sensation.

After a few minutes, Ben turned off the hand held shower head, and put it back. He laid himself on Padme, and slowly started kissing her. Her hands went around his neck as his kisses became more passionate. His hands fondled her breasts, and she groaned in pleasure. He also caressed her back, which gave Padme even more pleasure.

"It may hurt," Ben softly warned her, as he parted her legs with his knee. "Especially since we are standing up, and not lying down."

Padme nodded in understanding before they resumed kissing. A moment later, she felt Ben enter her. It was painful at first, but he did his best to be gentle. Once he was fully inside of her, Ben began to move. With every thrust, the passion stirred within Padme.

"Don't stop!" she insisted, as he held her close.

"Oh Maker!" Padme cried out, surrendering to her orgasm. It was probably intensified by the drug, but she did not care. Ben released his seed inside of her. She kept moaning until they were finished.

Ben held Padme in his arms, and said,

"Do you know how long I wanted to make love to you?"

"Since you met me," Padme replied, a smile on her face. "I know." He smiled back before kissing her.

They stepped out of the shower and dried themselves off. Both of them had the same thought.

"Do you think we have time?" Padme asked.

"Yes," Ben assured her. "Hux is making a video. I'll go make the bed."

"No. I don't want him to know we... Ben, you have plenty of towels..."

"I see." Padme grabbed a few towels and laid them on the floor.

"Nice impromptu bed," Ben complimented her. "After you, my love."

"No, Ben," she insisted. "You lie down."

He raised his eyebrow, but he laid down on the towels. Padme crawled on top of him.

"Come here and kiss me," she told Ben. He did not have to be asked twice. They began to make out, their hands roaming over the other's body. Padme brought Ben inside of her. Her being on top caused Ben to orgasm quickly.

"Oh Padme!" he moaned, as his seed filled her again. This was so much better than the dreams he had of making love to her!

After they were done, they embraced each other. Ben gazed into his lover's eyes.

"Thank you for waiting," he confessed, as he kissed Padme on the forehead. "Even though I drove you crazy."

"You were worth the wait, Ben. You were worth all the horrible stuff we have gone through," Padme told him, as her hand stroked his hair.

"I am sorry I shut you out earlier. I was afraid you would hate me, if you knew I was Kylo Ren."

"Ben, I could never hate you. I love you, and I always will."

"I love you too, Padme."

"I also shut you out. I just had to know why you weren't talking to me."

"How did you figure it out?"

"After I reminded Hux that 'Kylo' captured me, he said in his mind that he should have killed you, when he had the chance."

"Of all people, Hux!" Ben frowned in displeasure.

"Speaking of Hux, I have a plan for us to escape."

Padme explained to Ben her plan. At first, he protested.

"I am not going to pretend to do that to you! And Hux will not believe it," he argued.

"He will," Padme insisted. "He doesn't know that I know Ben Kryze and Kylo Ren are the same person. He will reveal it to me, in order to have me hate you and turn to him for comfort. Then I will use my womanly charms to distract him from seeing you sneak into his room. When he thinks that he and I are about to sleep together, that is when you will strike him down."

"I'm not comfortable with him having his hands on you..."

"Don't be jealous. He used your love for me to blackmail you. He thinks he can use my love for you to get me into his bed. But now we know his two weaknesses, his ego and his lust for me."

"I am not jealous of Hux! Although I wish I had thought of that lingerie he put you in. Even the Stormtroopers were drooling over you!"

Padme laughed when Ben said this, even though she was still embarrassed by how exposed she was.

"Don't be embarrassed," Ben assured her. "You put a smile on their faces. Which does not happen often here."

The two lovers rose to their feet. They both wished they could continue making love to each other, but Hux was done making his video.

"Let me go get what we need for our little performance," Ben said. They got dressed; Ben in his Kylo Ren outfit, and Padme in the lingerie. He put on his mask, and walked out of the bathroom. Padme waited until Ben gave her the signal, indicating that Hux was watching.

Hux had finished his video, and turned on his computer, to see into Ben's quarters. He saw him, still in his Kylo Ren outfit. The masked man banged on the bathroom door. After a minute, Ben barged in and pulled Padme out. Hux was delighted to see she was still in the negligee and panties. She tried to flee, but Ben pulled her close, clawing at her body. She briefly pushed him off and tried to make a run for it, but Ben used the Force to freeze her in place.

"That is not fair!" Hux thought to himself, as he continued to watch. Ben grabbed a couple of long handkerchiefs from one of his drawers. He blindfolded Padme, who could not move. She looked terrified, and Hux did not like that.

Ben quickly discarded his helmet and his clothes, so that he was only in his underwear. He grabbed Padme from behind, and roamed his hands all over her body. Hux saw her mouth move, telling Kylo repeatedly to stop.

He then scooped Padme in his arms and laid her down on the bed. With another long handkerchief, Ben tied her hands above her hand. When she tried to get up, he froze her in place. He threw a sheet over them, before he began to kiss her neck. Hux saw Ben's underwear tossed away.

Hux's stomach churned. He saw Padme hysterically crying, begging for Kylo to stop. It disgusted him. Padme should be his, not Ben's. Ben took off Padme's lingerie and, from Hux's view, raped her.

Hux turned off the camera, and was furious. Ben was going to pay from what he did to Padme. He was going to tell her Ben and Kylo were the same person. The poor girl was going to be devastated at the news. But Hux will offer to kill Ben, so that Padme could take his position in the Order. He also planned to take her as his lover, but he would not treat her like Ben did.

He opened his bedroom door and addressed the guard outside.

"If the female prisoner from Corellia comes here looking for me, you let her in. Then you give us privacy," Hux commanded the Stormtrooper. The soldier nodded in agreement.

"He stopped watching!" Ben uttered, as he tossed the sheet off and went to put his clothes back on. He handed Padme the lingerie so that she could dress.

"Are you okay?" he asked, before putting his helmet back on.

"Yes," she gasped. "I was imagining Hux..." Her voice trailed off. Ben took her in his arms and held Padme until her fear went away.

"Thank you," she softly sighed, as Ben kissed her forehead. "I know we were only acting..."

"We will never have to act that way again," Ben vowed to her. "Hux's reign of terror ends tonight!"

 **Author's Note: If you want to know the video Hux was making, you can read the story "Let Her Go, Let Him Go", Chapter five. There is a spoiler in that chapter, just to warn you!**


	33. Chapter 33

The first part of their plan was to mind trick the Stormtrooper outside Ben's quarters. Padme told the guard that he would only remember her leaving Kylo Ren's room. They were able to walk undisturbed until they were near Hux's quarters.

"I wish I had the robe," Padme uttered nervously.

"Hux will be more distracted by you without it. It will make it easier for me to sneak inside," Ben assured her, squeezing her hand. "It's time."

Padme let go of his hand, and turned the corner to approach the Stormtrooper guarding Hux's quarters.

"Stop right there!" the guard commanded. Padme raised her hands.

"I want to speak to General Hux," Padme told the soldier.

"And you are?" He pointed his blaster in her direction.

"I am Padme Desertwar, the female prisoner from Corellia."

The Stormtrooper pressed the intercom.

Hux had just stepped out of the shower, when he heard the intercom beeping. He answered the one in his bathroom.

"Why are you disturbing me? "he growled in anger. He tried to take a cold shower, to distract himself from thinking about Padme. Which didn't work.

"General, the female prisoner from Corellia is here, wanting to speak to you," the Stormtrooper responded. Hux grinned from ear to ear. She was here, seeking him out!

"Let her in and have her wait on the couch. Then you leave your post. I do not want us to be disturbed!"

"Follow me," the guard said to Padme, as he opened the door. "Have a seat on the couch. The general will be with you shortly."

Padme sat on the couch, and the Stormtrooper left. She knew Ben had knocked the guard out, and he slipped inside before Hux exited the bathroom. She used the emotional drama of the day to produce tears. By the time Hux stepped out, she was crying.

Hux was pleased at first to see her still wearing the lingerie set. But then he saw her tear streaked face and frowned. He knew the reason for her tears, Ben Kryze.

"What is wrong?" Hux asked, sitting on the other end of the couch. "Why are you here, Padme?"

"I needed to be here and not there!" she told him, her head bowed down.

"Kylo Ren... he raped you, didn't he?" Hux asked her. The mere mention of that word caused Padme to cover her face with her hands. She did not know if the truth serum was still active in her body, so she remained silent.

"I am sorry," Hux apologized, moving a little closer to her. "This is my fault. I should have insisted on having you."

"You didn't know he was going to..."Padme moaned, biting her lip. "It was my first time..."

"Oh Maker!" Hux thought to himself. "She was a virgin! The poor girl!"

He bravely reached out and touched Padme's hand. She tried not to panic, as his touch felt pleasant to her.

"Ben, there's an issue!" she cried to him through the Force. "The aphrodisiac still works!"

"Calm down, Padme," Ben told her, as he hid in a closet. He found his lightsaber there, which thrilled him. "Use it to your advantage."

She calmed herself down, and did not push Hux's hand away from her.

"Padme, look at me," Hux said. She looked into his eyes, which were softened towards her. "I need to tell you something. You are not going to like it, but I have to tell you. Please believe what I say, okay?" She nodded her head.

"Ben is not the wonderful man you think he is," Hux began to explain.

"Ben loves me! He would do anything for me!" she argued.

"Apparently, he did everything to you!" she heard Hux's thought.

"His definition of love is sick and twisted," the general continued. "Where did Kylo Ren say Ben was?"

"He said Ben was imprisoned somewhere else."

"He lied to you. Ben was here on the ship."

"I didn't see him..."

"You still don't see him, but he was there with you, until this moment."

"I don't understand..." But Padme did understand, completely.

"Padme, Ben and Kylo Ren are the same person."

She placed a hand over her mouth, and pretended to be shocked by Hux's revelation. Then she began to cry.

"He lied to me! He just wanted to sleep with me! And when I said no..." She bit her lip again.

Hux used his other hand to wipe her tears away. Even when upset, she was beautiful.

"I am sorry he did that to you. I will order his execution immediately," Hux vowed to her.

"No! Please don't! If he finds out I told you, he will..." The general drew closer, so that he was sitting next to Padme.

"He will not harm you." He held both of her hands. She trembled. "Don't be afraid. I will protect you."

"Even though I rejected you?" Her innocent eyes gazed into his.

"You are here now, aren't you?" Hux wrapped his arm around Padme.

"I meant everything I said to you in the interrogation room," he added. "Once Ben is dead, you can take his place in the Order. You will have justice for what he did to you."

To himself, he thought,

"She is so close to being mine. Bye, Ben Kryze. You will be dead, and I will have Padme as my lover and my equal."

To Padme, he took his hand and lifted up her chin, so that he could see her face.

"You are brave, smart and beautiful. You need someone who appreciates your power, who values your honesty and who will delight in your body. Padme, I am that person."

Hux cupped her face in his hands. He desired her badly.

"Please stop fighting this attraction between us," he begged, before kissing her on the forehead.

Padme sighed and said to him,

"Will you promise to not harm me, if I agree to this?" Her face was full of worry. Hux embraced her.

"I will not harm you, I promise."

She pulled away from him, and stood from the couch. Hux was concerned she was going to run out of the room, but she didn't.

"This is too much. Ben, Kylo, Hosnian Prime, you..." Padme moaned. She sat back down, next to Hux.

"I can't go back to Kylo, I mean Ben..." she said, her lips quivering.

"You will stay here with me. Tonight, and always," Hux promised her, as his fingers grazed her cheek. Then to both Padme and Ben's shock, he got off of the couch, and bent down on one knee.

"What the Maker is he doing?" Ben yelled at Padme through the Force.

"Ssh!" she replied back to Ben. Things were about to get very interesting...

"I know we don't know much about each other," Hux said, as he looked up at Padme. "But I would love to spend the rest of my life getting to know this beautiful, powerful and loyal woman before me."

"Padme Shmi Desertwar, will you marry me?" the general asked nervously.


	34. Chapter 34

Padme turned her head for a moment. She was not expecting a marriage proposal from Hux! But she quickly recovered, gazed into his blue eyes and replied,

"Yes, I will marry you."

"Are you insane?" Ben yelled at her through the Force. If anyone was going to propose to Padme, it was going to be him!

She ignored his thought as Hux rose to his feet. He was delighted. Padme was his! Finally, he could relax. She was no longer a threat, but an ally. A very lovely looking ally.

Hux helped Padme stand to her feet. He gave her a kiss. She held onto his arms as he deepened the kiss. Padme could hear Ben complaining in her mind to stop, but she ignored him.

The general broke the kiss and said,

"I will go get some blankets, so I can sleep on the couch."

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" Padme asked, confused by his statement.

"I thought you would be more comfortable in my bed. I know you don't want to..."

Padme drew close to Hux, and placed her finger on his lips. He was surprised, to say the least. She draped her arms around his neck.

"I want to," she whispered, as her hand stroked his hair. It took all of Hux's strength to not scoop her up in his arms.

"Even after what Ben did to you?" He was concerned that she wanted this because she felt like she had to.

Padme was not sure if the truth serum was still working, so she leaned and kissed Hux. She deepened the kiss, his arms around her waist.

"What are you doing?" Ben scolded her. He was now underneath Hux's bed.

"You said use the aphrodisiac to my advantage," she responded, as her lips moved to Hux's neck. She kissed him there, just like in the interrogation room. Padme loosened his grey silk robe until it glided off of him.

"Oh Padme!" Hux moaned in pleasure. She must know through the Force he liked her lips on his neck. Padme softly caressed his bare chest. He would have made a fantastic lover if he wasn't so despicable!

She felt Ben's anger at that thought.

"You need to stop being jealous!" she chided him.

"You're making out with our worst enemy!" he snapped back.

Padme stopped kissing Hux. He was not behaving like himself. She expected him to have his hands all over her body. But all he did was hold her.

"Are you not pleased with me?" she asked.

"I'm very pleased with you," Hux responded, trying to hold himself together. He was getting painfully hard, but he was worried she would think he would force himself on her.

"Then why are you not touching me? I know you are not Ben..."

"Padme," Hux whispered in her ear. "I am so ready, but if you are not, I understand."

"Please lay down on the bed," she whispered back. When Hux heard this, he did not hesitate. He scurried to his bed and laid down.

"Are you ready?" Padme said out loud to Hux, and in her mind to Ben.

"Yes," both men responded. Padme walked over to the side of Hux's bed.

"My dear, please close your eyes," Padme said to the general. "I will use the Force to keep them closed until it is time."

"Why do I have to keep them closed?" Hux asked curiously.

"Because the next time you open them, I am going to give you a wonderful surprise."

Hux marveled. She was going to be on top of him, completely naked! He moaned at the thought of it, before closing his eyes.

"I am slowly taking off my panties," Padme purred seductively, as her back faced him. She didn't, but he didn't know that. Having to visualize it in his mind tortured Hux.

"Now I am taking off my top," she cooed. Ben slipped out from underneath the bed, with his red crossguard lightsaber in hand. He was on the other side of the bed.

"Padme, please!" Hux cried out.

"I am going to straddle you now." But it was Ben who got on top of the general.

"Please! I need to see you. I need to be inside of you!"

"Okay, my dear," Padme finished. "You can open your eyes now."

Hux was able to open his open, and saw a very angry Ben over him. The lightsaber went into Hux's chest. The general could not fight Ben off, as he was repeatedly stabbed.

Padme turned around and saw what Ben was doing. She never saw him this angry before. Then she noticed his lightsaber. It glowed an unstable red color.

"Enough!" she screamed at him. Ben turned off his weapon and crawled off the bed.

"It will never be enough!" he growled in anger. Ben wanted revenge, for all that Hux had done to them. He watched in horror as Padme laid down in the bed next to the enemy.

"What are you doing?" he asked her nervously.

"He needs healing..." Padme told Ben, but her gaze was on the general.

"Absolutely not! Padme, you can't..."

"Not physically healing, Ben. He needs emotional healing."

Padme touched Hux's chest, where his heart was. He was breathing heavily. She saw into his mind. The general was repeatedly raped and tortured by his father growing up. No wonder he turned out the way he did! Then she saw a young woman, with black hair and brown eyes. When that woman appeared in her mind, Hux wept uncontrollably.

"A lost love," she gasped to herself. She wiped his tears away, and spoke straight to his mind,

"You may have been like him, but you are not now," Padme told Hux. "You could have taken me, but you didn't." She leaned in and kissed Hux sweetly on the forehead.

"You will never know how I feel about you," Hux thought, not angry at her for what she did.

"I do know. Go, be at peace," Padme said out loud, before Hux took his final breath. She gave one last kiss on the forehead before getting off of the bed.

"He's dead," Padme uttered wistfully.

"Finally!" Ben grunted. She stared at him. How could he be so heartless?

"How can you be so compassionate?" he replied back, knowing her thought.

"Because I could have easily been him," she reminded him. Ben didn't want to argue with her. He went over to the security cameras. He used the Force to manipulate the footage of what happened. Padme used the Force to heal the lightsaber stabs on Hux's body. She touched him, so that it would look like he had a heart attack.

"I will meet you back in my quarters," Ben said, squeezing Padme's hand. A minute later, she screamed over the intercom for help. Stormtroopers rushed to the general's room, and saw his body, along with his "lover" quivering in fear.

It took a while, but Padme was finally escorted back to Ben's quarters. He was relieved to see her, and went to embrace her.

"Not here," she gruffly told him. "We will talk in the bathroom." Ben was confused by the way she spoke to him. He followed her into the bathroom, and closed the door behind them.

"It worked," Padme told him. "They think Hux died of a heart attack after sleeping with me. The official announcement will be made tomorrow."

"Thank the Maker! His reign of terror is over! Now we need to work on leaving this ship," he stated joyfully.

"Not yet. I was told by the head Stormtrooper, Captain Phasma, that our presence is required at the reading of Hux's will."

"His will? Why us?"

"I have no idea. The reading of the will is tomorrow, before the announcement. Now you need work on getting that new identity for Finn."

"Of course. Let me do that right now."

"I need a shower. My skin is still crawling from him touching me."

"I can help you shower," Ben offered in a seductive voice. But Padme raised her hand.

"No, Ben. I need my privacy. It's been a long day."

He pouted but understood. He kissed her cheek, and she had to make herself not pull away from him.

"I will see you when you are done." Ben left to give Padme her privacy. She turned on the shower, and got undressed. Once the water was warm, she stepped in. She closed off Ben from hearing her thoughts, and began to cry.

Padme did not know what to do. She saw Ben's red lightsaber. She knew what red lightsabers were. She also saw the hate in his eyes, as he stabbed Hux repeatedly. Granted, the general did deserve what he received. But she remembered Ben telling her he killed a lot of Stormtroopers the day he was captured. What if he had killed people before then?

She had so many questions for him, but there was one question she needed to answer for herself,

"How did I fall in love with someone who is on the Dark side?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's note: For the fans of Angeles Dollslayer, here is her first appearance in this story!**

Padme finished in the shower, and she dried her hair. She needed to talk to Ben, but now was not the time. There were cameras everywhere on the Finalizer. She put back on the negligee and panties, and walked out of the bathroom. Ben was lying down on the bed, his shirt and boots off.

"I reached out to Poe and Finn, and gave them Finn's new identity," Ben told her.

"They made it!" Padme exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Once they get the shields down, then explosives can be put in place. Once Starkiller Base is fully charged, the explosives will be set off, destroying that monstrosity."

"Then all we will have to worry about are the battles in space and on the ground."

"Yes. You did it, Padme! I am so proud of you," Ben said, his eyes beaming with pride. She had so many questions to ask him, but she managed a smile back.

"We did it, Ben," she corrected him. She cleared her throat and added,

"It's getting late. We should get some sleep."

"Of course," he agreed. "Come, my bed is big enough for both of us." But Padme did not move.

"I am not going to try and seduce you, my princess. I promise," Ben whispered, seeing her reluctance.

She crawled into the bed with him. He pulled the sheet over them. They faced each other.

"That is a lot better," Ben stated. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes," Padme lied to him.

"Don't be nervous. I said I wasn't going to..."

"It's not that. I have never shared a bed with anyone before. What if I talk in my sleep, or snore?"

"Then I will admire you, either way." Ben traced Padme's face with his hand.

"Goodnight, Padme," he said, before kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight, Ben," she whispered. He fell fast asleep, but she stayed awake. She knew if she fell asleep, they would meet in their dreams. Padme was not ready to share with him what was truly bothering her.

Ben waited in the meadow for her to come. He waited for hours, but she never came. He was confused. They were finally together, and now, it seemed like she did not want to be with him. He felt insecure. Was Padme still angry at how he attacked Hux? Worse yet, did she develop feelings for the general?

"Stop it, Ben!" he scolded himself, as he leaned against their tree. "She loves you. She slept with you. She's just processing things. Between her family dying and dealing with Hux, her world was turned upside down!"

The next morning, Ben woke up. He saw Padme was not in the bed with him. He panicked at first, then was relieved to see her at his desk. She was talking to someone on his laptop.

"I will see you then," she said, before turning off the screen. Padme was exhausted. She did not sleep the entire night. She turned and saw Ben approach her.

"Good morning," she said flatly.

"It isn't for you," Ben replied. "You look like you didn't sleep at all."

"I didn't. I will sleep tonight though, when Ezra picks me up."

"When is he..." Ben began to say. He was interrupted by a knock on his door. He grabbed his mask and slipped it on before answering.

"Kylo Ren, it is time for the reading of the general' s will," the guard told him. He held a change of clothes for Padme in his arms.

"Give us a few minutes, so that she can get dressed," Ben told the guard, as he grabbed the clothes. He turned to Padme and said,

"Here are your clothes. Unless you want to go in your lingerie," Ben teased her. Padme did not appreciate the joke. She took the clothes and quickly changed in the bathroom.

"Let's get this over with," she uttered, wishing she was anywhere else but there. A Stormtrooper escorted them to the will reading.

To their shock, the only people at the reading were themselves, Captain Phasma and the lawyer. The lawyer cleared his throat before playing a video on the screen.

The screen showed General Hux in his uniform. Padme noticed the time of the recording. It has occurred during the time she and Ben were making love. She didn't say anything, not knowing if Ben noticed the time. Which of course, he did.

"This is my last will and testament," Hux began. "If this video is being played, it means that I am dead. There is not much for me to say, so I will get to the point. All my financial assets and personal belongings I leave to Padme Desertwar, the woman that I have come to know and love."

Padme and Ben looked at each other. They were not expecting this!

"I appoint Kylo Ren as the new general of the First Order. Captain Phasma will report to him, and will oversee all operations of the Order. They will rule until my children with Padme are of age. Then Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma will relinquish their roles, and my children will be in charge," Hux explained.

Padme frowned at the nerve of Hux, thinking she would have children with him! Captain Phasma was instructed to take a box from Hux's private quarters. Ben reached out and touched Padme's hand. She did her best to not pull away from his touch.

The lawyer left, and Ben, Padme and Captain Phasma stood in the room.

"Kylo, you will need to make a public announcement about the general's death and assume your new position," Phasma told Ben.

"Phasma, I will not do it!" Ben replied gruffly. He wanted nothing to do with the First Order anymore.

"Sir, I understand how you feel. I was also forced to serve under the late general. But if you don't assume power, someone else will. Someone just as evil as Hux."

"Why don't you lead, Phasma? You are more than capable enough..."

"Kylo, I know your story. You, along with Ms. Desertwar, are the only ones that can bring down the Order for good."

Ben stared at the Stormtrooper in silver armor. Was she serious? Or was she lying to him?

"Ben, she's telling the truth," he heard Padme say to his mind.

"I will make the announcement, but I do not plan on leading for long," Ben explained. "Phasma, you and I will dismantle the Order on the military side, and Ms. Desertwar will dismantle it on the financial side."

"Agreed," Phasma exclaimed joyfully. "The galaxy will be at peace, when it is all said and done. There will be those who will remain loyal to Hux, but they will fall in defeat."

An hour later, the public announcement was made. Kylo Ren assumed the position of leader of the Order. Padme was given access to the finances of General Hux. She was now considered one of the wealthiest people in the galaxy. She decided to use the money to give to those who had lost family members to the Starkiller Base attacks.

"We need to contact the new Senate leader, and explain that we are not the enemy," Padme suggested, as she and Ben were alone in his bedroom.

"I agree. I wonder who they voted in as leader?" he wondered out loud, still wearing his mask.

Padme made the video call to the new Senate leader, Angeles Dollslayer. She was young for a senator, at only twenty five years of age. Leia had raved about the young woman, saying Angeles would eventually be a great Senate leader. Which unfortunately came sooner than later.

Padme never met Angeles personally. The senator was on her native planet of Naboo, caring for her dying father, when Starkiller Base destroyed the Hosnian system.

When Padme saw Angeles, she had to stop herself from gasping in shock. She was the woman Padme saw when she was healing Hux's emotional wounds. Angeles was Hux's lost love!

"Senator Dollslayer, I am Padme Desertwar," she said to the senator, pushing the revelation she had to the side. "May I be the first to congratulate you on your election as Senate Leader. Also, I offer my condolences on the passing of your father."

"Thank you, Ms. Desertwar. Please call me Angeles," the senator insisted. Leia Organa had told her the many things Padme did to fight against the Order. "I heard you were captured by the Order. I am glad to hear you are okay."

"Thank you. Angeles, there is a matter I need to discuss with you."

"Is it about the announcement about General Hux? Good riddance to the evil bastard! So now Kylo Ren is leading the First Order. Who is he?"

Ben approached the screen. Padme said calmly to Angeles,

"Well, you can ask him yourself. Senator Dollslayer, I would like you to meet Kylo Ren, newly appointed leader of the First Order."


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's note: The box that Captain Phasma was instructed to take from Hux's quarters was for Angeles Dollslayer. You can read about what was in the box in the story "Let Her Go/Let Him Go."**

They saw Angeles' eyes narrow in anger.

"I swear, if you hurt Padme..." the senator threatened Ben.

"Relax, Senator," Ben said to her. "I am not going to hurt Padme. I am on your side."

"I don't believe you! You now control the First Order..."

"Senator Dollslayer, please listen to him. He is on our side. He wants to dismantle the Order for good," Padme pleaded with Angeles.

"Why would you assume the lead position, if you want to destroy the Order? It doesn't make sense!" Angeles smartly questioned.

"If you only knew the suffering I went through during my captivity, Senator, then you would not doubt my intentions," Ben insisted.

"Tell me then what happened to you. My colleagues in the Senate will need to know." Ben explained to Angeles about how he was captured by Hux after protecting a Force sensitive Twilek boy. He added that Hux forced him to reveal Rebel bases, to protect the woman he loved from harm. The woman was Padme. By the time Ben was finished speaking, the senator's face was red with embarrassment.

"I apologize for assuming the worst in you, Kylo Ren," Angeles managed to say.

"Please, call me Ben," he insisted, now hating the name he took when he turned to the Dark Side.

"Angeles, we need your help," Padme interjected. "There will be those still loyal to Hux, even after the Order goes bankrupt and reduces its military resources. We want to make sure those that want to defect to our side can do so without repercussions."

"You are asking for a difficult thing," Angeles admitted. "Many will be hungry for revenge."

"That is why we are giving away Hux's finances to those who lost family members to Starkiller Base. It won't bring their family members back, but it is the right thing to do."

"All we ask is that you bring forth a resolution, stating that no person with the Order that is willing to defect will be put to death for their past actions," Ben asked Angeles. "Most of us were forced to join, or were grandfathered in under Emperor Vader."

"I will propose the law, but it will be up to the rest of the Senate to pass it," Angeles honestly confessed. "Ben, I will need to share your story with my colleagues. I will keep you anonymous, so that they will not know that it is the leader of the First Order that wants the organization dismantled."

"Thank you, Senator." Ben was relieved to hear her say that. He still hadn't told Padme everything about himself, and he didn't want Luke to reveal who he was.

They were on the call for a few minutes with Angeles, before disconnecting. Padme walked over to the bed, and laid down.

"Padme," Ben began, as he removed his mask. He swallowed his throat. It was time she knew the truth. "I need to tell you a few things about myself." He turned around and saw her lying on the bed. He walked over to her, and smiled. Padme had fallen asleep.

He kissed her softly on her head, so that he would not wake her. She looked so beautiful as she slept.

"Get some rest, my love," Ben whispered to her. " I will wake you when it is time for you to leave."

Padme napped until the Finalizer landed on Corellia. Ben nudged her awake. Her sleep was short but good.

"We have landed," he said to her. "Ezra is waiting outside. He is giving me a holocrom in exchange for your 'release'. I will miss you terribly. Please visit me tonight when you go to sleep."

"I will," Padme promised. She knew she couldn't avoid confronting Ben forever. He gave her a soft kiss before putting on his mask. He put the special handcuffs back on her. Ben led Padme through the ship until they were outside. Stormtroopers surrounded the ship, as the couple walked towards Ezra. He held the holocrom in his hand. Only the three of them knew this was not a real exchange.

"Kylo Ren, as I promised, here is the Sith holocrom," Ezra told the masked man. He handed the holocrom to Ben. Once he held it, Ben used the Force to release Padme from her handcuffs. She quickly left his side and joined Ezra.

Ben nodded silently. To Ezra's mind, he said,

"Thank you for coming. Please look after her."

To Padme, Ben promised,

"I miss you already, but I will see you tonight." He turned around and boarded the Finalizer, along with the Stormtroopers. Ezra and Padme headed to the Ghost, with neither of them saying a word.

In fact, the silence was broken by a happy Twilek boy. He came running when he saw Padme board the ship.

"Padme!" Caleb squealed in delight. She knelt down, and the boy embraced her tightly. He didn't say anything at first, but she knew he was worried.

"I am okay, Caleb," she assured him. He replied back to her mind,

"No, you are not. You are angry at Ben." Padme was floored. How did he know this?

Ignoring what he had said, Padme asked how he was doing.

"I'm sad. I miss Mom and Chewy," he confessed.

"I know. I miss my parents, too," she told him, before breaking down. Ezra came and hugged her, while Caleb clung on to her legs.

After a while, the embraces were broken. Ezra gave Padme privacy when she spoke to Luke. He was overjoyed to see his niece on the screen.

"Thank the Maker!" he shouted, sitting up on his bed. "If I had lost you, too..."

Luke bit his lip. The grief over losing Leia, Han, Chewy and Herian weighed heavily on him. But he needed to be emotionally strong for Padme.

"Why didn't you call out to me for help?" her uncle asked.

"Because you would be in danger if you came," Padme replied. She didn't want to say the true reason. She didn't think he was well enough to rescue her.

"Padme," Luke sighed, knowing her thought. "I would give my last breath to help you."

That was when she started to cry. The realization that Luke was dying hit Padme hard. He used the Force to dry her tears.

"I am sorry," he apologized, trying to calm her down. "Bad choice of words."

"I can't lose you, too, Luke!"

"Padme, you will never lose me, if you keep me in your memories and in your heart."

It was the same thing her uncle had said to her the day her grandfather died. But it did not comfort her now.

"I would rather have you in the land of the living," she confessed truthfully.

"Death is a natural part of life. My time in the galaxy is almost over. Your time has just begun. Take the time to mourn for your parents and for me. But don't even think about not living your life to the fullest. Look at all that you have accomplished. You have a happy future ahead of you."

"How can I be happy if I am all alone?"

"But you won't be alone. You have Ezra, Sabine and Caleb. You have your 'Force bond buddy'. But most importantly, you have the Force," Luke reminded her.

They talked for a few moments, before Luke laid down and fell asleep. As she turned off the screen, Padme took a deep breath. There was so much she wanted to say to her uncle, before he passes away. It was hard for her to think about Luke dying. When that happens, she will be the only surviving member of the Skywalker family.

Padme kept to herself on the ride back to the Rebel base, which was on Mustafar. She went back to the castle where she lost Anikin. Ezra kept Caleb from bugging Padme with questions that he himself wanted answers to. But he knew Padme was not ready to talk, not until she saw Luke.

She ran into her uncle's arms, and hugged him tightly. No words were spoken between them. Just the fact that they were both alive was enough.

Padme told Luke general details about her experience as a First Order prisoner. He knew she was holding back a lot, but he did not press her for details. For he knew she had seen Hosnian Prime destroyed, just like how her mother saw Alderaan destroyed. Padme needed time to process everything that happened.

"If you are not comfortable talking to me about it, then find someone you can open up to," Luke suggested before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Padme was frightened. How could anyone understand what she felt? She didn't even understand herself! She couldn't share what was in her heart. Her parents were dead, and Ben... She still had not confronted him about his lightsaber, or the look in his eyes as he stabbed Hux. She loved Ben, but she did not know if he was going to be a part of her future.


	37. Chapter 37

Later that night, Padme sat in the kitchen by herself. She didn't eat, and she didn't talk about her experience with Hux.

"May I join you?" she heard Ezra say to her.

"Of course," she replied. As he sat down in the chair next to her, he commented,

"You didn't eat dinner."

"I wasn't hungry."

"You need to eat, Padme. What do you like to eat? You need to regain your strength."

"It's okay, Ezra..."

"No, I insist. How about some pancakes? That is what Leia used to make you for your birthday, right?"

Padme nodded her head. Ten minutes later, a small stack of pancakes was set before her.

"Go ahead and eat. Don't worry, I won't tell the cook," Ezra teased lightly. Padme ate the pancakes. They were good, but not like her mom's.

"Thank you," she weakly said. "They were delicious."

"You're welcome. Well, I guess I better check up on Caleb." Ezra stood up and was about to leave.

"Ezra, wait!" Padme exclaimed, as she grabbed his arm. He was surprised, but did not take another step.

"Can we talk?" she asked .

Ezra sat back down. Padme was nervous, but she needed to talk someone. He held her hand as she began to talk about how she, Finn and Poe was ambushed by the Order. She explained how she used the Force to get the men to safety, and how she could not escape the Stormtroopers. She was saved, then reluctantly arrested, by Kylo Ren, since Hux would have killed him otherwise if he didn't.

Padme then detailed what she and Kylo were forced to do before she was interrogated. Ezra was horrified by what she was telling him, but he kept it to himself. Padme told him she was injected with two serums. One serum forced her to be truthful or be shocked. The other contained an aphrodisiac that would killed her if she didn't have sex within twenty four hours of being injected. Then she described how she had to watch the Hosnian system destroyed before her eyes.

"Padme," Ezra said, full of compassion. How she was able to hold it together, he did not know.

She continued on, explaining that she needed to be truthful to Hux. She needed to find out where Ben was. She said Hux would touch her, so that the aphrodisiac would kick in.

"So he had his way with you?" Ezra bravely asked.

"No," Padme responded. "But he wanted to."

"So what happened?"

"I reminded him of his own rule, that whoever captures a female prisoner gets to sleep with her first. Hux was furious at Kylo Ren. That was when I was able to freely read his mind. He called Kylo by his real name, Ben. Ezra, Ben is the man that I have the Force Bond with. He is the one that has been revealing Rebel bases to protect me from Hux."

"What happened next?" Ezra questioned, his head dizzy from what Padme was revealing to him.

She said she and Ben were taken to his private quarters. Padme waited until they were in the bathroom to reveal she knew he was Ben.

"I don't want to say what happened next..." Padme said in embarrassment.

"Ben is the reason why didn't die from the serum," Ezra guessed correctly. "At least your first time was with someone you loved."

Padme was shocked Ezra say this, but she continue with the story.

"We made a plan to kill Hux. I will not go into the details of what we did, but it was successful. To our surprise, we were named in Hux's will. I was awarded his finances and 'Kylo Ren' received command of the Order. We told the new Senate leader, Angeles Dollslayer, of our plans to get rid of the Order. She is going to propose a bill, to allow anyone who wants to defect to the Rebels to not be killed for past actions."

"I heard of Angeles Dollslayer. She just lost her father, Les. He was also a senator. If she is anything like him, the bill will be passed."

"Ben and I also decided to give Hux's finances to those who lost loved ones to Starkiller Base. I know it won't bring their loved ones back..."

Padme paused. Mentioning this made her think of her parents.

"I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!" she moaned before she wept. Ezra embraced the young woman.

After a few minutes, Padme pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Now I understand why you said this was going to a hard road for me," she told Ezra. "The First Order will be no more, but it is at the expense of losing my family!"

"You still have people that love you. Caleb, Sabine & I. Family is not only defined by blood, Padme. As I said before, you will have a family of your own. Maybe it will be with Ben."

"I'm not sure anymore," Padme confessed. "Ezra, when we were in Hux's bedroom, and Ben stabbed him, I saw the rage in his eyes. He stabbed Hux repeatedly. Ben only stopped because I screamed at him."

"After what you told me about Hux, I could see why Ben was angry."

"It's not just that. Ben stabbed Hux with his own lightsaber. The weapon he did not have for almost two years. It was a crossguard lightsaber."

"It is a lightsaber from the Old Republic era. It was popular among the Jedi."

"Ezra, it wasn't the lightsaber of a Jedi..."

"What do you mean?"

"I know a little bit of Jedi history. They used many colored kyber crystals for their lightsabers, except for one."

"Red," Ezra uttered in realization. He squeezed Padme's hand in support.

"Did you ask Ben about it?" he asked her.

"No. There was too much going on, and frankly, I'm afraid to ask him."

"You will need to confront him about this. Especially if you love him. He needs to be honest with you."

"How can I ask him to be honest with me if I can't even tell him I'm a Skywalker?"

"Not revealing your family ties was not only to protect you, but also Leia and Luke. Once Luke passes away..."

"Please don't say that! I just lost my parents!"

"I know. But you will have to face the fact that your uncle is dying. Use this time to be with Luke. Use this time to speak with Ben, to see if you have a future with him."

"I guess you're right. Ezra, please do not say anything to Luke about this!"

"I won't. But anytime you feel you need to talk with someone, I am all ears."

They left the kitchen. Padme headed to her bedroom. Although she was scared, she needed to speak to Ben. She got undressed and grabbed her knapsack. Ezra had gotten it back from Poe Dameron before he came to pick her up.

She grabbed Vader's lightsaber. Padme threw the sheet over herself, and fell asleep, clutching her grandfather's weapon in her hand.


	38. Chapter 38

Padme saw Ben, sitting on the ground by the tree. Carefully, she approached him. He looked up at her and smiled, but then noticed she held a lightsaber in her hand.

"Why do you have a lightsaber in your hand?" he questioned her.

"I figured since you were desperate to find yours, that I would bring you one of mine," she responded in a harsh tone. "Ben, do you recognize this lightsaber?"

She drew close enough to him so that he could look at it, but stayed far enough away so that Ben could not grab it from her. His eyes widened. It was Vader's lightsaber!

"How did you get it?" he asked nervously.

"How do you think I got it? I killed Vader, remember?" Padme turned on the weapon. It glowed a bright red color.

"Were you ever going to tell me, Ben? Or were you just using me?" Padme yelled at him.

"What? Padme, I love you!" Ben replied, never seeing her this upset before.

"Then why didn't you tell me you're on the Dark Side?" she barked angrily at him.

"Because I knew you would react this way!" Ben grumbled softly. He was hoping Padme wouldn't attack him.

"So what happens now? I'm Light, you're Dark. We're supposed to be enemies!"

Ben bravely rose to his feet and said,

"You are certainly not my enemy, and I am not yours. The Force is what balances the Light and the Dark. You are not fully Light, just like I am not fully Dark."

Ben tried to step towards Padme. She pointed Vader's ligthsaber in his direction.

"Don't come any closer!" she threatened him. She was scared, Ben knew this.

"I will not hurt you..."

"How can I believe you?"

"Because I would have already if I wanted to!"

"Maybe you are just waiting for the right opportunity."

"Padme, please listen to me. I will tell you everything about me, just like I promised you after the first time we kissed," Ben softly told her. "Do you remember our first kiss?"

"Of course, I do," she replied, as the memory filled her head. She turned off the lightsaber.

"Are you going to tell me everything?" she wondered.

"Yes," Ben promised. "Please sit with me."

They sat on the ground. Ben leaned against the tree and Padme faced him.

"You already know that Duchess Satine was my grandmother, and that her daughter was my mother," Ben began to explain. "You know how I was conceived. But there is more to my family history."

"Go on," Padme uttered flatly.

"I only found out myself a couple of years ago. I was told not by the man that was my father figure, but by people who despised me."

"What did they tell you?" Padme saw the pain in Ben's eyes as he spoke.

"Besides what you already know, they told me who my maternal grandfather was. Apparently, he did not know the Duchess was pregnant. Otherwise, he would have left the Jedi Order for them."

"Who was your grandfather?" Padme asked, getting an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"His name was Obi Wan Kenobi," Ben whispered softly.

"Obi Wan Kenobi was your grandfather?"

"Yes. That is why I took his last name, to honor him."

Padme was shocked. Obi Wan was the one to encourage her to face Vader on her sixteenth birthday, not realizing that the Emperor was her grandfather.

"Hearing this turned you to the Dark side?" Padme questioned. She remembered her grandfather killed Obi Wan on the Death Star.

"No. What I am about to tell you did," Ben uttered, before he cleared his throat.

"My father figure, who hid the truth from me... I found out he is Vader's son," Ben explained.

Padme's face went pale. He was talking about Luke!

"Who was your father figure?" she asked, not wanting to hear the answer, but needing to know if her suspicions were true.

"My father figure was Luke Skywalker. A man you greatly admire."

Padme closed her eyes. Ben was Luke's student! He was the one who broke into her home, who destroyed Vader's castle, who probably killed Vanee and murdered the Jedi...

She blocked any of her thoughts from being read by Ben. Now Padme could never tell him who she was.

"When I found out, I was furious. I was mocked and ridiculed by the rest of the Jedi," Ben confessed, the tears brimming in his eyes.

"So what happened after you found out?"

"I killed them in anger. I pledged myself to the Dark side, and vowed to get revenge on Luke and his family. Now you understand why I hate Vader so much. Speaking of him, Obi Wan wasn't the only family member of mine he killed."

"I don't understand..."

"Yes, you do. I saw the video, Padme. My father was in the room, with you and Vader. Vader killed my father, before you killed Vader. He was the medical doctor..."

Padme rose to her feet and stepped away. Ben's father was the doctor that tortured Vader! The man she had killed with Vader's lightsaber...

"I need to go! I can't listen to anymore of this!" Padme screamed. She took a few steps before Ben ran in front of her and blocked her path.

"Move, before I use the lightsaber!" she growled in anger.

"Please, just listen to me!" Ben begged her. "I don't want revenge anymore. I hate being on the Dark side!"

"Too bad for you. You made the choice, now deal with it!"

"I don't understand you. You had compassion for General Hux, after all he put us through. And yet you are upset with me?"

"At least I knew where I stood with Hux. I knew he wanted my power and my body. With you, I don't know..."

Ben pulled her close and passionately kissed Padme. She quickly broke off the kiss.

"I love you!" he told her. "I can't make it any clearer with my words or my actions!"

"Ben, I'm sorry. I don't trust you," Padme admitted ruefully. "I saw the look in your eyes, as your stabbed Hux. I don't want to see that look when you look at me!"

"Padme, I could never be that angry with you..."

"Never say never. I never thought you would be on the Dark side. But you are. You have had almost two years to return to the Light. But you haven't, because you hate Luke and Vader."

"No! I can't go back to the Light because I hate myself!" Ben shouted at her. " I hate the person that I have become. Even Luke has forgiven me for what I did. It is myself that I cannot forgive."

"Then you need to decide what you want to do. But if you stay on the Dark side..." Padme paused, her heart breaking. "Then I cannot be with you."

Hearing those words coming from her lips devastated Ben. His worst fear came true. He could protest, and try to have her see his point of view. But he knew it would be pointless.

"I understand," he finally said, with sadness in his voice. Padme thought he would put up more of a fight, to keep her by his side.

"This is a decision you need to make on your own, Ben. You cannot do this for me. You need to do this for yourself. I will give you time. When you have decided, let me know. For now, we should only contact each other about First Order business."

"Agreed," he whispered solemnly. Padme knew everything about him, and now, he lost her.

"Goodbye, Ben," Padme sighed, before kissing him on the cheek and running away from him. Ben could only watch her leave, his eyes full of tears. She fled, tears of her own streaking down her face.


	39. Chapter 39

Padme stirred awake, her eyes red from crying. She knew everything about Ben, but she could not be with him. If he ever found out she was Luke's niece, or that she killed his father, he would kill her. That thought made Padme curl up in a fetal position. She lost her parents, she would lose Luke soon, and now Ben was gone.

"Why?" she yelled out to the Force. "Why did we form this Force Bond? Why did we fall in love, only to break up? It's not fair!"

She wept until she fell asleep. Thankfully, Ben did not visit her in her dream. He respected her wishes, and stayed away.

Over the next few weeks, the couple had minimal contact with each other, only to discuss First Order business. Angeles Dollslayer was able to get the resolution passed, so that anyone in the Order could defect without being punished for past crimes. Padme kept herself busy, overseeing the distribution of Hux's finances to those who lost family members to Starkiller Base.

It was destroyed a week after Padme and Ben broke up. Finn successfully brought down the shields. Poe, Ezra and Caleb planted the explosives. As soon the weapon was fully charged, it exploded.

Ben saw it from the Finalizer. The explosion caused a new sun to form. He marveled at how something that caused so much death and destruction was now a source of light. He sighed, wanting to be the same.

"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it," Ben thought to himself. He cried out to the Force, to ask for help. He was also busy, reducing the ranks of the military, with Captain Phasma's help.

When she wasn't handling Hux's finances, Padme spent her time taking care of Luke. Thankfully, he survived being transported from Mustafar to the Rebel base on Endor. But he was confined to bed, and he spoke mostly through the Force.

Padme tried to keep herself busy, so that she would not think of Ben. But it was a losing battle.

The first week, she was angry at him.

The second week, she was afraid of him.

The third week, she never wanted to speak to him again.

The fourth week, she thought he didn't want her anymore, since he hadn't spoken to her.

By the fifth week, Padme had to face the truth. There was no one to blame for the breakup but herself. Ben was willing to work things out, but she had pushed him away. She was the one who gave him the ultimatum. She knew the temptation of the Dark side, and had almost succumbed to it. Yet, she showed no sympathy for him. Padme had become the very thing she could not stand, a hypocrite.

She made an important and brave decision. After Luke passes away, she would contact Ben, and tell him the truth about being a Skywalker and being his father's killer. Either he would forgive or kill her. But the truth would finally bring Ben peace, no matter how he decided to handle it.

With everything that was going on, Padme felt tired all the time. The stress caused her to throw up a few times. Thankfully, her gift of Force healing helped her feel better afterwards.

"Padme, you look tired," Ezra said. It was early afternoon, and they had just finished lunch. She was sitting on the couch, and Caleb was rocking back and forth on the recliner.

"I'm not tired," she replied, before a yawn escaped her mouth.

"You are a bad liar. Lie down and take a nap."

"But Luke may need me..."

"Rest, Padme. If Luke needs something, I will get it for him. Caleb, you stay here and make sure she gets some sleep."

"I guess lying down for a few minutes wouldn't hurt," Padme thought to herself, once Ezra left. She looked over at Caleb, who had fallen asleep himself. She smiled before she curled up on the couch and fell asleep.

Caleb woke up in a meadow. He remembered this place. This was the meadow he met Ben for the first time. He looked around, but did not see Ben.

"Padme?" Caleb cried out, expecting she would be here. But he did not see her either. He headed in the direction of a tree. He saw a figure leaning against the figure. But it wasn't Ben or Padme.

It was a girl! She looked around Caleb's age. She was crying. Caleb slowly approached, so that he would not scare her. She opened her eyes and gasped. The girl had pretty blue eyes and curly black hair. She wore a white dress.

"Don't be afraid," Caleb said to the girl. "I heard you crying. Why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because my mommy and daddy miss each other," the little girl told him. "I want to help them get back together again, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I am not born yet." Caleb was very confused, so the girl explained,

"I am a child not born yet. A child of two Force sensitive people. Even in my mommy's womb, I have the Force. You did too, Caleb, when you were in your mommy's womb."

"How did you know my name?" Caleb questioned her. Ezra never taught him anything about this!

"Because you have a place in my parents' hearts," she told him. "Can you help me? You know my mommy and daddy. I can't talk to them, but you can."

"I don't know your parents," Caleb uttered, now scared. Who was this strange girl?

"But you do know them! Please help me!" The tears streaked down the girl's face. Caleb had compassion for her.

"If I am going to help you, I need to know your name."

"My name is Leia," the little girl said. "My mommy doesn't know about me yet. She always said she would name me Leia, after her mommy."

Caleb's eyes widened. Padme's mom was named Leia! The girl knew his thought and told him,

"Yes, Caleb. My mommy's name is Padme. You are in the same room as her."

His little mouth dropped open in shock.

"I am inside of her right now," Leia added. "But she doesn't know I'm there, so I can't talk to her. And my daddy doesn't know about me, either."

Caleb was about to ask about her daddy, when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Ben!" Caleb shouted happily. He turned around to see him, but he wasn't there. "Where are you?" He did not notice Leia's eyes lit up with delight when Ben called out to him.

"I'm on a ship called the Finalizer," Ben told the boy. "Do you know if Padme is with Luke Skywalker?"

"No, she's not," Caleb replied. "She's sleeping. I'm also asleep, but I'm in the meadow..." The boy paused. How was he going to explain Leia to Ben?

"Thank you, Caleb. I need to go speak with Luke. I promise to talk to you soon, okay?" Ben felt bad, but he knew there was not much time to speak to his former master.

"Ok. Bye, Ben!" Caleb said, before Ben dropped the Force connection.

"I told you that you knew my daddy!" Leia squealed. It took a moment for Caleb to understand what she was telling him.

"Ben is your daddy?" he finally managed to say.

"Yes!" Her eyes were dancing. She loved hearing Ben's voice.

"Caleb, please help me!"

"How can I help you?"

"You can tell them about me. You can tell them they still love each other. Daddy is so close to coming back to the Light. But Mommy is afraid he will hurt her after the truth comes out."

"What truth?" Caleb asked.

"You know one part, that my mommy is a Skywalker. The other part, you don't know. Mommy knows, but Daddy doesn't."

"What is the other part?" Caleb wasn't sure if he wanted to know, but since he was still sleeping, he figured he would ask.

"Mommy killed Daddy's daddy," Leia softly sighed. "She didn't want to, but Daddy's daddy was hurting Mommy and Mommy's grandfather. Mommy's grandfather died afterwards."

"Who was Padme's grandfather?" Caleb wondered curiously.

"He died as Anikin Skywalker. But when Mommy met him, he was the Emperor."

"What? Padme's grandfather was Emperor Vader?" Caleb shook nervously. Ezra had told him about the Emperor. Did he know this?

"Yes. That's what Mommy needs to see. Daddy can come back to the Light, just like the Emperor became Anikin Skywalker again."

"Leia, I don't think Ben or Padme will believe me if I tell them about you," Caleb gently warned her.

"Please try, Caleb! I can't talk to them until they know about me!" Leia begged him. The meadow began to fade.

"Please, Caleb!" she cried out one last time. He woke up abruptly. He glanced over at Padme, who was still asleep.

"I need to go meditate, and ask the Force what to do," the boy said to himself. He slipped away, so that Padme would not wake up from her nap.


	40. Chapter 40

Ben paced back and forth in his room. It was now or never. He took a deep breath, and called out to Luke through the Force. Luke was alone in his room, when he heard Ben's voice.

"Ben!" he said to his former student. "It's good to hear from you!"

"Hello, Luke," Ben replied nervously.

"Don't be nervous, Ben. I told you, I forgave you for what you did."

"There is one problem with that. I never said I was sorry for what I did. I am sorry, Luke. For how I scared you and your family." The tears flowed down Ben's face.

"I am sorry, too. I should have told you the truth before I left to rescue my niece. You should have heard it from me, not from the other students." Luke reached out through the Force and touched Ben's shoulder.

"Forgive yourself, Ben. It is the only way back to the Light," Luke told him.

"I forgive myself. I will no longer serve the Dark side," Ben vowed.

"Luke, even though I have come back to the Light, I can't be a Jedi," he added.

"Why not?" Luke asked curiously.

"Because I am in love with the most beautiful girl in the galaxy." Luke managed a small smile.

"Even though we are not together now, and we may never get back together... I just can't be a Jedi. I am sorry I left you down."

"Ben, don't be sorry. You were not given the choice to be a Jedi, like the other students," Luke reminded him. "That was the one mistake your mother made, insisting you become a Jedi. Obviously, the Force has shown you that is not your path."

"Did my mother love me?" Ben had to know the truth. He knew in his heart his father never wanted him, but if his mother...

"She loved you, Ben. And so do I," Luke reassured him. "Now, tell me about this girl you are in love with."

"She is beautiful, smart, brave and powerful in the Force. But I broke her heart, because I told her the truth of what I had done," Ben uttered, a sad smile on his face.

"If you love her, then go and be with her."

"I can't. She's scared of me. She thinks I will hurt her. I don't even blame her for thinking that. But everything I did, from working with the First Order, to secretly helping out the Rebels, was for her."

"Who is this girl?"

"Her name is Padme Desertwar." Luke's mouth dropped open in shock. Ben was the man Padme had the Force Bond with! Which meant...

"Ben, it was you who was captured by General Hux, and forced to use your power to reveal the Rebel bases?" Luke asked, still trying to deal with the revelation.

"Yes," Ben replied, hanging his head in shame. "I didn't want to, but Hux injected me with a truth serum. He demanded from me the name of the person I loved, to blackmail me to do his bidding."

"And you gave him Padme's name. Why didn't you ask for help?"

"Because I knew if Hux found out, he would kill me, Padme and anyone else that would try to rescue me."

"Oh Ben!" Luke sighed, full of compassion for his former student. Now he understood why Padme did not want to speak to the family about Ben!

"So I revealed the bases, to protect her. Which worked until..."

"Until what?" Luke asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Until I was forced to arrest her on Corellia. Her powers were drained, and I was trying to rescue her. But Hux and a legion of Stormtroopers arrived. She said I needed to arrest her so that I would not be killed by Hux. I didn't have a choice."

"Then what happened?"

"I will not share what happened. It is too personal, and hurts too much," Ben moaned, wanting to forget what he and Padme went through with Hux.

"Ok," Luke said. He knew enough of the operations of Hux that whatever she and Ben went through, it was not pleasant.

"I killed him in his bedroom with my lightsaber. Padme panicked as she saw me stab Hux repeatedly. She healed him of his emotional wounds before he died."

"Wow," was all Luke could say to that. But it didn't surprise him. Padme did have a forgiving heart.

"The next morning, we were called to the reading of his will. Padme got control of his finances, and I got control of the Order."

"You're Kylo Ren?" Luke gasped in surprise.

"I am, when I'm wearing my black uniform and mask," Ben confessed.

"Luke, the First Order is about to crumble. The remaining troops are heading to Endor. This war is going to end where it began," Ben confidently stated.

"I wish that I could be alive to see the end," Luke offered sadly. "I don't have much longer to live." He sensed that Ben was trying not to cry.

"Don't cry for me, Ben. I lived a great life, went on many wonderful adventures. Now it's almost time for my next adventure, to be one with the Force."

"But..." Ben stammered. He didn't want Luke to die.

"You need to go to Padme, and ask her to heal you of your past. It is the only way you will have a future with her."

"I can't! I don't deserve it!"

"Neither did General Hux, but she healed him. How much more will she be willing to heal you, the man that she loves?"

"Loved."

"No, loves. She still loves you, Ben. I feel it in the Force. You will have a second chance with her. Ask Padme to heal you."

There was a long pause, before Ben said,

"I will ask her, if she willing to heal me."

"Good," Luke stated. "I have to go now. May the Force always be with you, Ben." He dropped the Force Connection. Ben sank to his knees and wept for the man that was, once again, his father figure.

Luke called out to Ezra. Ezra came into his room, and sat next to his bedside.

"How's Padme?" Luke asked, concerned for his niece.

"She's resting downstairs," Ezra told him. "I was finally able to convince her to take a nap. Luke, you look tired. You need to rest."

"No. If I close my eyes, then they will never open again. I need to stay awake, so that I can say goodbye to Padme."

"Luke..." Ezra began to say, not sure of what to say in this situation.

"Ezra, promise me that you will look after Padme when I'm gone. She is heartbroken over everything that has happened in the past month."

"I know." Luke raised his eyebrow.

"So you know what happened when she was captured by the Order?"

"Yes. She didn't want to worry you."

"That was smart on her part. I would have worried. I assume you know about Ben Kryze as well."

"Yes, I know... Wait, what? Ben Kryze?" Ezra was surprised to hear Ben's last name. "Luke, are you telling me..."

"Ben is the grandson of Duchess Satine Kryze and Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi," Luke confessed, as he watched Ezra's eyes widen in amazement.


	41. Chapter 41

Ezra's head spun at the news. He had met Obi Wan once, on Tatooine. He thought he could get Obi Wan's help to fight against the Empire. His unsuccessful attempt to do so led to Maul discovering them. The Jedi Knight told Ezra to leave and go back to his family. He heard years later than Vader killed him on the Death Star.

"He did not know about his daughter until he was one with the Force," Luke explained.

"So Ben is the rightful heir to the Mandalorians," Ezra managed to say.

"Ben does not want to be Mand'alor. He knows Sabine is suppose to lead her people."

"Ezra," Luke continued. "You know now the feelings Ben and Padme have for each other. She has not told him about being a Skywalker, or about killing his father."

"Padme killed his father? When?"

"When she was Vader's prisoner. Ben's father was the medical doctor on my father's ship. The doctor found out Padme was Vader's granddaughter, and threatened to take her away from her family. She stabbed him with Vader's lightsaber, after he tried to shoot my father in the head."

"Oh Maker!" Ezra groaned in realization. "Padme said Ben told her everything about him. She's afraid he will hurt her!"

"I'm afraid so. You must not tell the truth to Ben. He needs to hear it from Padme."

"I will not say anything," Ezra promised.

"I did not think you would. But there is another who knows."

"Caleb. He knows. I did not tell him. He figured it out himself. About Padme and her relationship to you and to Leia."

"He is quite powerful in the Force. Ezra, he is way overdue for a Midichlorian test."

"I know. I'm just concerned about the results. He's doing things in the Force at such a young age..."

"You must not fear the results. He is powerful. Even more powerful than I."

"What? But how is that possible?"

"Search your feelings, and you will know the truth."

Ezra closed his eyes and meditated. His face went pale and his eyes opened in surprise. No, it couldn't be true!

"It is true, Ezra. Caleb, unlike you and I, was conceived by the Force. There is only one other person in all of history that can make that claim," Luke said to his baffled friend.

"Your father," Ezra replied. "Why did you not tell me this before?"

"Because if I did, you would not have trained him, because of your fear. He still needs guidance, Ezra. You need to tell Caleb he is not to tell Ben the truth about Padme."

"I will," Ezra promised.

"The First Order has arrived. You need to get ready for the final battle. Goodbye, my friend. May the Force be with you."

Ezra patted Luke on the shoulder before leaving. He was still trying to process everything that he had learned.

He joined Sabine, Padme and the rest of the Rebels for their final meeting. Padme's thoughts were elsewhere. After the meeting, she was pulled to the side by Ezra and Sabine.

"You are not going into battle today," Ezra instructed Padme. They saw the troops head out to the battlefield.

"Ezra," Padme protested. The war was about to end, and he didn't want her to be a part of it?

"Luke wants to see you. It's time." Padme's eyes brimmed with tears.

"I am sorry," Sabine said to the young woman, as they embraced.

"Thank you, Sabine," Padme replied, before Sabine walked away.

"You did it, Padme!" Ezra said with pride in his voice. "Once this battle is over, the First Order will be no more. The galaxy will be at peace. However, you will not be at peace if you don't say goodbye to Luke."

He hugged Padme tightly. She had dreaded this very moment. But Ezra was right. She needed to say goodbye.

"I better go check up on Caleb," Ezra said.

"Ezra!" Padme said through the Force a minute later. She looked into Caleb's bedroom, which was empty. "Caleb is not here!"

"WHAT?" Ezra cried out. He specifically told the boy to stay in his room until the battle was over. Caleb had complained, saying that he wanted to...

"Oh no!" he gasped in worry. "He went out with the troops!"

He ran as fast as he could to find Sabine.

"Ezra, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing the worry on his face.

"Caleb, he went out with the troops!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "We have to find him!"

As they went to find Caleb, Padme approached Luke's room. She wished that Ben was here, to help her through this. But he was on the Finalizer, waiting to see when the battle would be over. He asked her to meet with him in the forest, to discuss their future. She agreed. It was only fair to Ben that he would finally know everything about her.

Padme opened the door, and drew to Luke's bedside. She sat next to him, and held his hand for the final time.

"Hi, my brave, beautiful niece," Luke uttered softly, a soft smile on his face. This caused Padme to start crying. He used his free hand to wipe away her tears.

"I remember when you first told me that," Padme said, recalling the day Anikin died. "But I'm not that little girl anymore."

"No, you're not. You are a young woman, and a better person for everything you have gone through the past couple of years. You are fulfilling your destiny, Padme. Anikin, Leia and Han are all proud of you."

"I just wish I could have spent more time with them," the young woman sighed sadly. "After you're gone, I will be all alone!"

"You will not be alone. You have Ezra, Caleb and Sabine. And..." Luke paused before winking at his niece. "You have Ben."

Padme was surprised. Luke knew about Ben!

"If you know about Ben, then you know why I'm not with him anymore."

"Padme, listen to me. Ben is going to ask you to heal him of his emotional wounds. You need to do this for him."

"I can't!" she argued. "He will never ask, especially if he finds out I'm a Skywalker!"

"He will ask. Stop being afraid of what will happen."

"I'm not afraid of what will happen. I'm afraid that I am not good enough for him!"

"Why do you say this?"

"Because I am a hypocrite. Ben told me everything about himself, and I can't tell him about Grandfather, or about killing his father."

"Keeping the truth from him will only make things worse in the long run. Do you love him?"

"Yes," Padme managed to say with a smile on her face.

"Then be honest with him, and heal him. He went through a lot to protect you from Hux. Remember that the next time you see him."

"I will," she promised.

"Reach into the drawer. I have something for you..."

"Luke, I can't. I have Grandfather's..." Padme started to object.

"Yes, you can. It is my last gift to you." She went into the drawer and took out Luke lightsaber.

"Take it. Tell your future children all the adventures I had with it," Luke insisted. The Force had revealed to him that his niece was expecting, but that she did not know.

"I will," she vowed, placing the lightsaber on her lap. She gently stroked his hair.

"Remember Padme, the Force is strong in our family." They said this declaration in unison, with different words.

"My father/grandfather had it, I/my uncle has it, my sister/my mother had it, and you/I have that power, too."

Padme leaned over and kissed Luke on the forehead. He looked up, smiled and said with his last breath,

"May the Force always been with you, Padme." He closed his eyes, and she immediately broke down sobbing. She truly felt alone, being the last surviving member of the Skywalker family.


	42. Chapter 42

"I'm sorry, Padme," she heard Ben say to her through the Force. "He was a great man."

"Thank you, Ben. I need some time to grieve," Padme told him.

"Come and meet me after you are done."

After the Force connection was broken, Padme took Luke's lightsaber and headed to her room. She laid the weapon next to her grandfather's lightsabers on her bed. She knelt by the bedside and wept for a long time. A cloud of despair washed over Padme. She felt it again, just like when she was Vader's prisoner. The pull of the Dark side.

"No!" she emphatically shouted. "I will not surrender to darkness. I have to fulfill my destiny. The First Order needs to be eradicated. This war ends now!" Padme defiantly stood to her feet, grabbed Luke's lightsaber, and made her way out of the building.

The battle on Endor was fierce. The remaining troops of the Order were not giving up without a fight. But Ezra did not even notice the causalities around him. He was desperate to find Caleb. Sabine took to the air with her jet pack to help search for the boy.

"Caleb! Where are you?" Ezra shouted through the noise.

"Ezra!" Sabine screamed. She was shot down from the sky, and a Stormtrooper was about to kill her. Ezra did a force push to keep that from happening. He ran quickly to her side.

"Go find Caleb!" she begged. "They shot me multiple times while I was in the air..."

"I'm not leaving you!" Ezra vowed, trying to see what he could do to stop her from bleeding out.

"Look out!" Sabine screamed. But it was too late. A Stormtrooper shot Ezra with a blaster in his back, at close range. Ezra tumbled to the ground and turned to face Sabine. He saw the fear in her eyes.

The Stormtrooper was about to kill both of them when his hand was chopped off. He turned to see his assailant. The last thing he saw was a very angry Twilek boy swing a lightsaber towards his head. That soldier would never hurt anyone again.

"Caleb!" Ezra moaned, as the little boy turned off his lightsaber and knelt beside his master.

"I'm sorry! This is all my fault!" Caleb replied, tears falling down his face.

"No, Caleb. You saved us." Ezra coughed in pain.

"But you are..." Caleb paused. He did not want to say it.

"I know," Ezra told him. "You need to go now."

"But I can't leave you and Sabine!"

"You must. Caleb, you are just beginning to discover how powerful you are. Promise me that you will always follow the path the Force shows you."

"I will." He reached out and touched Ezra's shoulder.

Sabine looked around in amazement. Fighting was going on all around them. But no one from either side approached them.

"You won't be alone," Ezra assured him. "Padme and Ben, they will look after you. They will love you as much as I do."

"And Ezra won't be alone, either," Sabine added, as she held Ezra's hand.

Caleb nodded in understanding. He didn't want to leave them, but there was nothing else he could do.

"I love you, Caleb," Ezra said to his padawan.

"I love you, too!" Caleb replied in sorrow, gazing at both Ezra and Sabine.

"Run, Caleb. Don't look back. May the Force be with you," Ezra sternly told him. The boy rose to his feet, waved goodbye and ran. His heart was full of grief, but Caleb knew he had to get out of the battlefield.

"Ezra," Sabine said weakly, as he turned to face her. "I have to tell you something..."

He put his finger to her lips, smiled sweetly and gently leaned in and kissed her.

"I love you, too," Ezra told her. She managed to smile at him before taking her final breath. He kissed her forehead.

"Padme, Ben, please look after Caleb when I'm gone," he said through the Force, before he died, embracing the love of his life one last time.

"Ezra!" Padme screamed, hearing what he said, and then feeling the passing of him and Sabine. She panicked. She needed to find Caleb, but first, the battle had to end.

She took Luke's lightsaber and turned it on. She walked into the battlefield. She used Force healing on every living person there. The Stormtroopers that tried to subdue her, they were struck down by the lightsaber.

While she was doing this, Caleb was running for his life. A couple of Stormtroopers were chasing after him. His power was weak, because he created a force field while he was still with Ezra and Sabine, to protect them from being attacked.

"Help me!" Caleb shouted through the Force. Ben heard him, and knew that the boy was nearby. He ran off of the Finalizer and headed towards Caleb's direction.

"Caleb, you are about to approach a cliff. Jump off of it," Ben instructed him.

"But I will die!" Caleb responded, knowing how high the cliff was.

"You won't die. I will catch you," Ben promised. "Now get ready to jump."

Caleb reached the edge of the cliff. The soldiers yelled at him to not move. He glanced over his shoulder, then turned and jumped off the cliff. He fell into Ben's arms. His little eyes widened.

"You're Kylo Ren?" he uttered in confusion, as Ben extended his hand upwards. The Stormtroopers had fired at them, but the shots were frozen in place. Ben reversed the trajectory, and the Stormtroopers were struck down. Caleb clung tightly to Ben's neck.

"Come, let's go to the ship," Ben told him, as he carried Caleb in his arms.

"Caleb! Where are you? Answer me!" Padme shouted, as she continued to make her way through the battlefield. If he had died...

"Don' t think that!" she scolded herself. "You would have felt his passing if he was dead." She was getting tired of using her powers.

"Please let him be safe!" she added, as she struck down an enemy combatant.

On the Finalizer, Ben put Caleb in the co-pilot's chair, and he sat in the captain's chair. Ben prepared the ship for takeoff.

"Ben, I need to tell you something," Caleb began, as the Finalizer rose from the ground and into the sky.

"I know about Ezra and Sabine," Ben replied. Caleb sadly nodded his head.

"There is something else, besides that, I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"You and Padme, you love each other, right?"

"Why, yes. At least, I love her. I can't speak for her." Ben was hoping Padme still loved him, that he could have a second chance with her.

"She loves you. She is scared to tell your her secrets. Please don't be mad at her when she tells you!"

"Well, if you know her secrets, why don't you tell me? That way, when she tells me, I will not be mad." Ben was teasing Caleb, but he quickly realized Caleb was seriously concerned for Padme.

"I shouldn't. Ezra would not want me to say anything." Caleb bowed his head in sorrow.

"I've learned keeping secrets from the ones that you love is never a good idea, in most cases."

Caleb took a deep breath. Ben deserved to know the truth, about everything. Caleb wasn't sure if Padme would ever tell Ben her secrets, and then there was baby Leia...

"Ok," he uttered nervously, looking at Ben. "She broke up with you because she was afraid you would hurt her, if you knew the truth about her family."

"I know about Han and Leia," Ben assured him.

"No, not about them. About her uncle and grandfather."

Ben's eyebrow raised. Padme never mentioned about having an uncle or grandfather.

"Do you know who they are?" The boy nodded his head. He was afraid to tell Ben the truth.

"Caleb, I'm no longer on the Dark side," Ben confessed. "You can tell me the truth. I will not hurt Padme, I promise."

Caleb took a deep breath, looked straight into Ben's eyes and said,

"Her uncle is... was...Luke Skywalker."


	43. Chapter 43

Ben's eyes bulged in disbelief over the words that came out of Caleb's mouth. This couldn't be true!

"Search your feelings, Ben. It's true," Caleb told him. "Her parents, her uncle and Chewy knew. So did Ezra and I. And now, you know."

Ben closed his eyes. His precious Padme was a Skywalker! No wonder she was so powerful in the Force! But now he knew if Padme was Luke's niece, then her grandfather was the late Emperor, Darth Vader.

"Oh Maker!" Ben cried out sorrowfully. He had terrorized her and her family, when he fell to the Dark side. It was her home he had invaded, and it was her clothes he had gone through. But the worst thing was that Padme had been taken prisoner by her own grandfather. No wonder Ben felt the fear in her nightgown!

"She doesn't know I know, does she?" he was finally able to say, his face pale.

"No. There is one more secret she is keeping from you. She is scared you will hate her if she tells you. Please don't hate her, Ben!" Caleb pleaded.

"Caleb, if I don't hate her for being Darth Vader's granddaughter, then there's nothing you can tell me that will make me hate her."

"The secret is about your father."

"My father? I know about my father. Vader killed him. I saw the video."

"He didn't kill your father."

"But I saw him..."

"It was Padme," the boy whispered softly. Ben shook his head in denial. Caleb got off from his chair, and climbed onto Ben's lap. He touched the side of Ben's head, and Ben entered a vision.

It was the day his father died. He saw the entire scene. His father, torturing Vader with electric shocks to his armor, while Padme hid in fear. His father taunted Vader, saying he knew Padme was his granddaughter, and that he was going to take her away from him. Padme chopped off his hand with Vader's lightsaber. His father shot her in the leg, and turned around to shoot Vader in the head. But he was struck down by Vader's lightsaber, which was held by Padme.

"She didn't want to kill him, Ben. She was trying to stop him from hurting Vader," Caleb explained. Ben was quiet. To calm his racing heart, he relied on the Force to help regulate his breathing. Caleb returned to his chair.

"Thank you for telling him," Ben said to Caleb, his eyes misty. "It makes it easier for when she tells me, and when she leaves me for good."

"No!" Caleb grunted, his fists clenched in frustration. "Ezra said you and Padme are to look after me when he died! Please stay with Padme!"

"I can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to."

"But I can."

"Caleb, no!"

"Yes. Ezra said both you and Padme. She will stay if I refuse to leave you. Which I will do."

Ben was shocked. Caleb was willing to do this, just to see him and Padme back together?

"You don't have to do this," Ben reassured him.

"Yes, I do. I am doing this for myself and for Leia."

"Leia?" Ben gave the boy a puzzled look. "Caleb, you know Leia died in the attack on the Hosnian system."

The boy swallowed his throat. He could hear the little girl, urging him to reveal the final secret. It was now or never. Caleb took a deep breath and confessed,

"Not Padme's mom. Leia is Padme's baby."

"Padme doesn't have a baby," Ben told him, thinking that Caleb was imagining things.

"She does! I saw Leia in my dream. She wants her parents together again!"

"It was just a dream, that's all."

"No, Ben! Leia is real! She is inside Padme, right now!"

The way Caleb spoke caused Ben to wonder. Could Padme be pregnant, with his daughter?

"Padme doesn't know yet," Caleb added, his face full of worry. "Ben, please don't hurt her!"

"Come here," Ben said, as his opened his arms. Caleb climbed onto his lap, and trembled in fear.

"Don't be afraid," he told the boy. "I want to believe you, but I will need some proof. You can help me."

"How?" Caleb questioned. Ben told him how he could help. After he finished, Caleb had a frown on his face.

"I thought you said keeping secrets from those you love is not a good idea," the boy reminded Ben.

"Well, this is a good type of secret. She will want proof, too. Trust me. But first, we need to go find her."

By this time, Padme had walked through the battlefield. She refused to look back at the bodies littered on the ground. She was exhausted; physically, emotionally and Force wise. She made her way into the forest, and called out to Ben to meet her. She leaned against a tree, and tried to close her eyes. But they did not close, because she heard a noise.

Padme turned and saw a wolf coming in her direction. He growled, showing his sharp, white teeth. She tried to Force push it away, but she couldn't . She was too weak to move, and the animal was quickly approaching her. She went into a fetal position, expecting the wolf to attack her.

But the animal never touched her. Padme was amazed to see a familiar lightsaber stab the beast to death. She looked up and saw Ben, in his Kylo Ren outfit, walk over to her. Her eyes closed and she passed out.

He gathered Padme in his arms and carried her to the Finalizer. Caleb ran to see them, but was worried when he saw Padme in Ben's arms.

"She's okay. She just passed out," Ben promised. They went to his quarters and laid Padme down on his bed. Ben covered her with a sheet.

"Stay here and watch her," he told Caleb. Ben headed to the medical ward, and grabbed a couple of syringes. He came back a few minutes later.

"Give me your arm, Caleb," Ben instructed. The boy offered his arm, and Ben gently pricked him and drew blood.

"We are finally going to know your midichlorian count, little one," Ben said in a lighthearted tone. Caleb has a serious look on his face. "Don't worry."

"I'm not," the boy replied, lying to Ben. He was worried. When Padme and Ben find out the truth about him, will they still want him around?

"Give Padme a peaceful dream, so that I can stick the other needle in her." Caleb climbed into the bed and touched her head. Ben stuck the syringe into her, but she did not stir.

"You need to rest," Ben told Caleb, as he led the boy to another bedroom. "When you wake up, the test results for you and Padme will be ready."

Caleb pouted, folding his arms in front of him.

"Go, take the time to grieve for your family," Ben insisted gently. Caleb gave Ben a hug and walked into the bedroom. Ben made sure the boy had crawled into the bed before closing the door behind him.

He made his way to the medical ward. Ben ran the tests, to see if Padme was pregnant, and to determine Caleb's midichlorian count. He waited anxiously for the results.

Ben decided to check Padme's results first. He slowly gazed at the paper. It was true! Padme was pregnant!

As shocked as he was at discovering she was pregnant, he was speechless when he heard a voice of a little girl call out to him,

"Daddy! Can you hear me?"


	44. Chapter 44

Ben looked around to see where the voice was coming from.

"Daddy, talk to me!" the little girl insisted. "Can you hear me?" Her voice was pure and innocent.

"Yes, I can hear you," Ben finally said. "But I can't see you."

"That's because I'm growing inside of Mommy. I am happy I get to hear my daddy speak to me."

"I am too, sweetheart." Ben was amazed that Padme was expecting and that he was communicating with his unborn daughter.

"Daddy, please forgive Mommy for hiding her secrets. She feels really bad."

"I do forgive her, but I don't know if she can forgive me."

"She will, Daddy. She loves you. Tell Mommy about me. She will be happy. Are you happy, Daddy?" The little girl suddenly got quiet.

Ben smiled and replied,

"Of course, I am happy that I am going to be your daddy. A little surprised, but definitely happy."

"Yay! I'm happy you're happy, Daddy. I don't like seeing you or Mommy sad. Mommy is very sad, because Uncle Luke passed away."

"Yes, along with two good friends of hers. But don't concern yourself about that, Leia."

"You know my name?"

"Yes. Caleb said that is your name. Unless you turn out to be a boy..."

"That's not funny, Daddy! I am a girl!" Hearing Leia get upset about that make Ben chuckle.

"Yes, I can hear that, Leia."

"Do you want to come see me?"

"Can I?"

"Yes, Daddy. Just close your eyes. You will see me as a little girl, not as a baby, since babies can't talk."

Ben closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was back in the meadow. He headed in the direction of the tree, and there she was. Leia was the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. Her eyes were blue like Padme's, and her hair was curly and black like Ben's.

"Daddy!" Leia shouted when she saw Ben approach her. He got on his knees so that he would not tower over her. She ran straight into his arms, and he gave her a big hug.

"My brave, beautiful Leia," Ben whispered.

"I don't want to let you go, Daddy. But I know you have to get back to Mommy and Caleb. Come visit me soon."

"How about the next time I come, I bring Mommy with me?"

"Can you, please?"

"I will do my best to." Ben placed a soft kiss on Leia's forehead.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Leia," Ben said to her before he opened his eyes. He was back in the medical ward.

"I have a daughter!" he gasped to himself.

It took him a couple of minutes to calm himself down. Ben had to honor his promise to Leia, to bring Padme with him to visit. Even if Padme did not want to get back together with him. he vowed to be very involved in his little girl's life.

Ben remembered Caleb's midichlorian test. He felt this test would be less of a shock. Obviously, the boy was Force sensitive.

But when he saw the test results, Ben had to sit down. He blinked, thinking it was a mistake the number that was on the paper. But every time he looked at the paper, Ben saw the same number, 27,000.

"There has to be a mistake!" he muttered to himself. The count was higher than any force user he knew, including himself and Luke.

Ben used a different sample of Caleb's blood, and ran the test again. When the results were done, the same number of 27,000 appeared on the paper. He went to the screen and typed in "Highest midichlorian counts in history". He saw the counts of his grandfather Obi Wan, Master Yoda, Luke and other former Jedi masters, as well as former Sith Lords. Then he saw the same number of 27,000 next to one other person's name.

"Oh Maker!" Ben marveled in realization. "He has the same midichlorian count as Anikin Skywalker! He was a child conceived by the Force!"

Now he understood why he rescued Caleb from Hux's troops nearly two years ago. If the boy had ended up captured by the Order, who knows what the general would have done to him? Would Caleb even be alive today, if that happened?

Ben had a lot to think about and process. It looked like a new family was forming: him, Padme, Caleb and baby Leia. But he needed to know if Padme wanted to be a part of this family. He placed the tests in a manila envelope, put his helmet on, and headed back to his bedroom.

Ben placed a chair by the end of his bed, so that when Padme woke up, the first thing she would see was his masked face.

Padme finally stirred from unconsciousness. She had the most wonderful dream! It was of her and Ben getting married. She sighed and sat up in the bed, and glanced over in Ben's direction. She was startled to see him, still wearing his Kylo Ren outfit.

"The girl I know so much about," he uttered smoothly.

"Ben, please remove your mask," Padme asked him.

"Why? Does the mask scare you? Or does the man behind the mask scare you?"

"I'm not scared..." Padme denied unsuccessfully.

"I will remove my mask if you tell me the truth about your family." Her face went pale, but Padme had no choice. There was no way she could escape the ship.

"Do you agree to tell me the truth, about whatever I ask you?" Ben emphasized. Padme nodded her head.

"Padme, did you kill my father?' Ben asked. She bit her lip, and then nodded her head. Tears formed in her eyes. Ben felt Padme's fear, but he was not done with her yet.

She tried to read Ben's mind, but couldn't. Padme went to get off the bed, but couldn't. Ben had frozen her in place!

"No moving until I tell you it's okay to," Ben told her, smirking behind his mask. He stood from the chair and sat next to Padme in the bed. She quivered in fear.

"My father attacked you, didn't he?" Ben continued, bringing his gloved hand to her cheek. She trembled when he touched her.

"He did. I didn't want to kill him, Ben. But he was hurting Vader!" Padme explained, knowing that Ben would not understand. She knew he hated Vader.

Ben's other hand came around Padme's waist. He was enjoying seeing her squirm nervously.

"And who is Vader to you, Padme? Was he your Emperor, your captor, or something else?"

She took a deep breath and confessed,

"He was both, but most important to me, he was my grandfather." After she said this, Ben pulled her close to him. She gasped at this action.

"What should I do with you?" Ben asked, knowing exactly what he wanted to do with her.

"Are you going to take my life?" Padme moaned nervously. Ben tilted his head to the side.

"You still think I want to kill you?" he uttered in surprised. As promised, he removed the helmet. Padme gazed into his brown eyes. Gone was the fury she saw when he was stabbing Hux.

"Padme, I do not want to take your life," Ben promised, as both of his arms wrapped around her. He looked into her eyes. Their breathing became synchronized, as their Force Bond was rekindled.

"Then what do you want to do?" Padme asked, as she laid her hand on Ben's cheek. She missed him terribly, and she had no intention of ever letting him go.

"I want to take you to bed!" Ben cried out, before he gave Padme a passionate kiss.


	45. Chapter 45

Ben's hands roamed all over Padme's body. She clung on tightly to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"May I make love to you, Padme?" Ben whispered in her ear. He was getting painfully hard.

"Yes!" she whispered back. Ben laid her down on the bed. It did not take long before he had them both naked.

"I missed you," he groaned, as he entered her.

"I missed you, too," Padme managed to say, before she started moaning. They surrendered to their mutual passion for each other. Afterwards, the couple laid warm and content in each other's arms.

"How did you find out?" Padme asked, stroking Ben's hair.

"Caleb told me," Ben replied. "Speaking of Caleb, we need to be his guardians."

"I know. Ezra asked the both of us to look after him..."

"There's a bigger reason why than Ezra's wishes we need to take care of Caleb."

"There is?"

"Yes. I ran two midichlorian tests on him. I got the same results both times."

"So what is his count?"

"27,000."

"Ben, are you joking?" Padme cried in disbelief.

"No. See for yourself." He pulled out the midichlorian tests, being careful to not pull out the pregnancy test. He would talk with Padme about that when Caleb was not nearby. She looked at the papers while Ben got dressed. Her eyes widened when she saw the number.

"I don't know anyone who has this high of a number!" Padme gasped.

"You knew one person that did," Ben admitted.

"Who?"

"Your grandfather."

Padme was shocked. She knew Anikin was conceived by the Force. Which meant Caleb was most likely conceived the same way.

"Does anyone else know?" she asked, as she dressed herself.

"Not to my knowledge. Maybe Luke or Ezra knew, but we can't ask them now," Ben stated. "Padme, I shudder at the thought of what Hux would have done to him..."

"He is safe, thanks to you." She took Ben's hand and they sat down on the bed.

"Padme, if you want to leave and take Caleb, I won't stop you."

"Ssh, Ben. I am not going anywhere, and neither is Caleb. Besides, he refused to leave you if I did, right?" Ben nodded his head in agreement.

"There is something else we need to discuss later. But for now, we need to talk to Caleb about this. Although I have a feeling he already knows."

Ben and Padme made their way to the room Caleb was sleeping in. The boy stirred from his nap. At first, he thought he was still dreaming. He saw Padme and Ben holding hands. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, and saw them smiling at him.

"Padme!" Caleb shouted joyfully. He stood up on the bed, and extended his arms out to her. She embraced him tightly.

"I am so glad you are safe!" she told the boy, as she patted his head.

"I am, but Ezra and Sabine..." Caleb said sadly, before sitting down on the bed. Padme sat next to him.

"I know. I'm sorry, Caleb. They loved you very much."

"Padme, I am sorry about... Luke Skywalker." The boy looked nervously at Ben.

"Don't be afraid," she reassured him. "Ben knows the truth, about everything."

Caleb's eyes widened as he glanced at Ben. He smiled and said,

"I'm not angry at her. I promise" He motioned for Caleb to move, so that Ben could sit on the other side of him.

"I'm glad to hear that!" Caleb confessed, as he twiddled his thumbs. "I was afraid, because Ezra said both of you need to look after me."

"We know. Ezra knew that even though we are young, Ben and I would be the right guardians for you," Padme explained.

"We can relate to you, Caleb. Padme and I have lost family members, just like you. We were young when we discovered we were Force sensitive, just like you," Ben added.

Caleb shook his head in protest. Only one person in history could relate to him, and the boy did not want to end up like that man. He was scared. Was he putting them in danger, just by him being with them?

"Don't think that," Padme softly consoled him, knowing his thought. She took his hand into hers.

"I can't help it! I'm scared!" he responded, his voice quivering.

"Why are you scared? Are you afraid of the test results?" Ben asked.

"No," Caleb whispered. "I know my count. 27,000."

Ben and Padme gave each other an incredulous look before focusing back on Caleb.

"Can you see through the folder?" Padme wondered.

"No. I knew before Ben stuck the needle in me. I have known as far back as I can remember," the boy confessed.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because I was afraid no would want me around, because they would be scared of me!" Caleb moaned.

Padme felt compassion for the boy. He was scared, but there was a deeper reason for his fear.

"Your mom, Chewy, Ezra and Sabine loved you. They were not afraid of you. Ben and I, we are not afraid of you..." Padme tried to reason with him. But Caleb was not reassured by her words.

"Maybe you should be scared of me. Maybe everyone should be scared of me!" Caleb hid his face in his knees his body trembling.

Ben placed his hand on Caleb's shoulders, and whispered to him,

"You are afraid you will end up just like Darth Vader."

Caleb lifted his head and gazed at Ben. The tears ran down his face. He didn't want to say it, especially in front of Padme.

"Look at me," Padme instructed him. Caleb turned to face her. "You know now that I knew Darth Vader personally. You are nothing like him. You will not end up like him. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded his head. Padme held him in her arms.

"You have a great destiny ahead of you, Caleb," she told him, as she cradled him. "But you need guidance, since you are still young. Ben and I will raise you, to follow the path the Force has for you. Do not be afraid. Trust in the Force."

"I will. But will I forget about my mom, Chewy, Ezra and Sabine?"

"Of course not. You will always have them with you, if you keep them alive in your memories, and in your heart," Padme promised, repeating what Luke had told her.

That was when Caleb started weeping. He cried not only for his family, but for all the people that lost their lives in the past couple of years. It felt like the entire galaxy was in mourning, and the little six year old boy felt its pain.

"We've got you," Ben vowed to Caleb, as he and Padme embraced the boy. No words were exchanged as all three of them grieved for their lost loved ones.


	46. Chapter 46

After a while, Caleb calmed down. Padme gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"It will be okay, little one," she promised him. He nodded, feeling better about what was to come.

"We should head back to the base," Ben said to them.

"What about the Finalizer? Are you going to keep it?"

"No. The Senate can have it, if they want it. Besides, we have both the Ghost and the Legacy. But first things first. I need to get out of this ridiculous outfit for the last time!"

Padme breathed a sigh of relief. She loved Ben, but she did not love his "Kylo Ren" uniform!

"The mask, too?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," he said, with a grin on his face. "I will be right back. Can you and Caleb go outside and build a fire?"

"Sure! Come, Caleb."

Padme and Caleb gathered the wood they needed to build the fire. It was dark outside.

"Oh no!" Padme groaned. "We don't have matches!"

"We don't need a match," Caleb replied with a mischievous smile on his face. He extended his little hand towards the pile of wood. A huge fire appeared! He quickly moved his hand so that the fire would not spread.

"Sorry!" the boy sheepishly apologized.

"It's okay. You are still learning control," Padme told him.

Ben joined them, holding a box in his hands. He was relieved that his time as Kylo Ren was coming to an end.

"My outfit, including the mask, is in here," Ben told Padme. He gave her a wink and added, "Your outfit is in here, too."

Padme nodded in understanding. Ben had found the white negligee and panties Hux forced her to wear for her interrogation.

"But Ben," Caleb chimed in, as Ben was about to toss everything into the fire. "I thought you liked Padme in her outfit."

Thankfully Ben's back was facing Padme and Caleb. Otherwise, they would have seen his face turn redder than Vader's lightsaber!

"Caleb," Padme said to the boy. "Ben did like me in the outfit. But so did General Hux."

Without hesitation, Caleb scrunched his nose and told Ben,

"Burn it!" Ben, who was still embarrassed, threw everything into the fire. Padme couldn't help but chuckle, as they watched the fire consume the clothing and helmet.

After the fire was put out, they boarded the Finalizer and flew back to the base. Padme introduced Ben to the soldiers that had survived. A late dinner was served to them. Afterwards, they made their way to the morgue. Ben held Caleb outside, while Padme went in to identify the bodies of Ezra, Luke and Sabine.

"We don't have Luke Skywalker's body," the coroner told her. "The body is not here, and it is not upstairs in his room." She dashed out of the morgue.

"Padme, what's wrong?" Ben asked, as he ran after her, still holding Caleb.

They reached Luke's room. They stepped inside. As the coroner told Padme, Luke's body was not there. She walked over to the bed, and touched it, before crying.

"Don't cry," Caleb said, after Ben had let him down. He walked over to Padme and held her hand. "He is one with the Force. You will see him again." She turned and embraced the boy.

Caleb was afraid to fall asleep by himself, so Ben volunteered to stay with him. Telling Padme she was pregnant would have to wait one more day.

The next day, a public funeral was held for all those that were slain in battle. The private burials followed afterwards. Ezra and Sabine were laid to rest, together for the last time. Ben took a crying Caleb away, so it was Padme that watched the gravediggers bury her friends.

They met up with Poe and Finn, who had flown to Endor with Senator Angeles Dollslayer. They also spent some time with Angeles, who thanked them for their effort in defeating the First Order. Padme asked Poe if he wanted to be the new owner of the Ghost, which he graciously accepted.

It was time for Ben, Padme and Caleb to leave. Movers helped them pack the belongings of Ezra, Sabine and Luke. Ben had his clothing moved from the Finalizer, and Padme and Caleb's stuff was also boxed up.

"We need a place to live," Ben uttered, as they flew off of the planet.

"I agree," Padme replied. "Any suggestions?"

"How about Tatooine?" She smirked at him.

"We do need to stop there, to get my mother's house sold. But I do not want to live there. Too much sand!"

Ben laughed. Did she forget already, about where she wanted to go? Or was it the pregnancy that made her forget? He was going to tell Padme once Caleb fell asleep.

"Sweetheart, did you forget? You said you wanted to go to Naboo. I'm sure Angeles can help us find a home."

"Ben, are you serious?"

"Yes. Unless you want to go somewhere else."

"As I said to you before, I will go anywhere you want to go. But Naboo is special to me. Our meadow is there."

"Then we will live on Naboo," Ben promised, smiling at her. She smiled back. He hoped the smile would stay on her face once he told her she was expecting.

Later than night, Caleb was asleep. Padme was in her nightgown, and Ben wore pajama bottoms. He tapped the bed, indicating that he wanted her to sit next to him on the bed.

"I need to ask you a favor," Ben started, as he reached over to the nightstand. He grabbed his lighsaber and showed it to her. She had a confused look on her face.

"I need you to purify my lightsaber," Ben explained.

"I never did this before," Padme uttered nervously.

"Your gift is Force healing. It is easier to heal a lightsaber than a person."

Padme took the weapon from Ben, and turned it on. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Ben watched in amazement as the color of light changed from an unstable red to a stable white. She opened her eyes, and was pleased with the results. Padme turned off the weapon, and placed in on the nightstand closest to her.

"Please heal me," Ben pleased with her.

"It's not going to be pleasant," Padme warned him.

"I know. If there was another way, I would do it. But this needs to be done, if we are to move forward in our lives."

"We need to do this together." Padme slipped off part of her nightgown, so that part of her chest was exposed.

"You lay your hand on my chest, and I will lay my hand on yours," Padme said to Ben. Then the process began. It was not easy, since Padme felt Ben's pain due to their Force bond. It took a while, but Ben was finally healed of his past.

"Is it me or is it ridiculously hot in here?' Padme grumbled.

"I'm sweating!" Ben replied. He checked the thermostat, which was fine. Then he had an idea.

"Let's cool off in the shower," he suggested.

"I like how you think!"

They headed to the shower to cool off. The shower reminded them of their first time, and they decided to make love. Afterwards, Ben carried Padme back to bed. She began to give him passionate kisses.

"Wait!" Ben told her. He still had not told her about the baby.

"You didn't want to wait in the shower," Padme replied, as her fingers stroked the side of his face. He gently pulled her hand away.

"I need to tell you something that you may not believe," Ben began.

"What is it?" Padme wondered.

"Have you been feeling not yourself lately?"

"Well, I have felt tired a lot. I did throw up a few times. Why do you ask?"

"Padme.." Ben paused. He took her hands into his. Gazing into her blue eyes, he gathered the courage to tell her,

"You're pregnant!"

 **Author's note: If you want to know more about Angeles Dollyslayer's visit to Endor, you can read about it in my story "Children Know Best".**


	47. Chapter 47

"WHAT?" Padme shouted in disbelief.

"Padme, when did you get your last period?' Ben asked her.

"I... I..." She stammered, shocked that he would ask that question, and by what he had said. How could she be pregnant?

"It's true. Here, see for yourself," Ben told her. He gave her the paper with her test results. As she stared in shock, he added,

"You have been under a lot of stress the past month. You probably didn't notice the changes in your body."

"I can't believe this!" Padme uttered, as her hand touched her belly. But it was true. She was pregnant, with Ben's child!

"Our baby is inside of me!" she marveled in nervous delight.

"Our daughter is inside of you," Ben lovingly corrected her.

"But it is too soon to tell..."

"It is not. I saw her, Padme. I saw our daughter, what she will look like as a little girl." Ben climbed off the bed and gathered their clothes.

"Put your nightgown on," he requested. She did as he asked, and he put his pajamas on. Ben crawled back into bed, and drew Padme close to him.

"I promised our daughter that you would be with me the next time I see her," he explained, as Padme's head rested on his shoulder. Within minutes, they fell asleep.

They walked in their meadow, hand in hand. Ben spotted Leia by the tree. She was skipping around it.

"Go ahead, speak to her," he encouraged Padme. "I will be here when you are done."

Padme walked over to the tree. Leia stopped skipping, and turned to face the person coming towards her. Her blue eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

"Mommy!" the little girl cried out in delight. She immediately ran to Padme, and gave her a hug. They sat down on the ground. Padme couldn't help but cry. Her daughter, Ben's daughter, was here in her arms.

"Mommy, don't be sad," Leia said, as she touched her mother's cheek.

"I'm crying happy tears, not sad ones," Padme assured her.

"Ok, Mommy."

"So you are the reason why I have been tired all the time."

"Mommy, you work too much. I need you to be strong."

"I guess I do push myself too hard. But now that the war is over, I will not be as busy. Except for preparing for your arrival."

"I want you to be happy..."

"I am, Leia. Seeing you, knowing about you, makes me very happy."

"I am sorry about Uncle Luke, Ezra and Sabine," Leia said solemnly. "I'm sorry about your mommy and daddy, and Caleb's mommy and step-daddy. A lot of people died."

"I know, sweetheart. But now, the galaxy is at peace," Padme comforted her daughter. She kissed the girl on the side of her forehead. Leia looked and spotted Ben standing a distance away.

"Daddy!" she yelled happily, waving her arm. Ben waved back at her.

"Come join us, Daddy!" Padme shouted with a grin on her face. Ben jogged over and sat down with them. Leia gave him a big hug.

"Now you both know about me," the girl said with the biggest smile on her face. "I'm happy that my mommy and daddy are happy. But we're missing someone."

"If you are talking about Caleb, he is sleeping," Padme told Leia.

"Oh. I want my big brother to come and play with me. Can he?"

"If he wants to," Ben replied. "Sometimes big brothers and little sisters don't get along. Remember that when you are older." The little girl could only nod her head.

"You just gave her some fatherly advice," Padme stated with pride.

"Wow. I guess I did," Ben replied, surprised himself.

"Fatherhood looks good on you."

"And you are going to make an awesome mother." Ben squeezed Padme's hand.

"How long do these dreams last? Will we have these dreams with you the rest of our lives?" Ben asked Leia out of curiosity.

"No. They only occur until Mommy gives birth," his daughter responded.

"I see," Padme uttered, stroking Leia's curly black hair. She was so beautiful and innocent.

"Will you come see me again?" Leia asked her parents.

"Of course we will," Padme and Ben said in unison. Leia hugged her parents, and said,

"You are going to wake up now. Bye Mommy, bye Daddy! See you soon!" Leia skipped away from them.

The couple opened their eyes, and they were back in bed. They faced each other.

"We're having a little girl!" Padme said with excitement. "Our love made this child growing inside of me."

"It sure did," Ben replied, before leaning in and kissing Padme, He gently slipped off her nightgown.

"We may not be able to do this for a while," he admitted, as he felt Padme tugged off his pajamas. "Between selling the house on Tatooine, finding a place on Naboo to live, adopting Caleb, and preparing for Leia..."

That was when Padme decided to silence Ben with a long kiss. Which he thoroughly enjoyed.

"Then stop wasting precious time and make love to me," Padme commanded teasingly. Ben gave her a tender kiss as he crawled on top of her.

"Sorry," he whispered in her ear, as his hands caressed her body. She spread her legs for him, and they made love a few times, before falling asleep.

The next morning, Padme was the first one to rise. She kissed a sleeping Ben on the cheek before taking a quick shower. After she got dressed, she made her way into the kitchen. Caleb was sitting at the table, waiting for her.

"Are you hungry?" she teased the boy. His head nodded quickly. Padme chuckled. She went to the cupboard and grabbed the ingredients to make pancakes.

As she was cooking, Caleb told her about the dream he had last night.

"It was an awesome dream!" the boy began, a big smile on his face. "I was back in my old home on Ryloth. I was in my bedroom, when I saw Mom and Chewy come in. They gave me big hugs. Then I saw Ezra and Sabine come in, They hugged me, before they held hands and kissed, yuck!"

Padme forced herself not to laugh. Six year old boys do not like seeing people kiss, apparently!

"Then someone else came in, that I did not know. Ezra said his name was Zeb. He seemed to teased Ezra a lot when he was a teenager. Then I saw them..."

"Who?" Padme asked, noticing the content look on the boy's face.

"My grandparents," Caleb replied. Padme smiled. She knew he was very curious about Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla.

"Grandfather was healed of his blindness, and Grandmother was busy taking care of everyone."

"It sounded like you had a wonderful dream, Caleb," Padme said, as she set a stack of pancakes in front of him. As he grabbed the bottle of syrup, she was amazed when Caleb looked up to her and said,

"Tell Leia I will come and play with her tonight." He ate his pancakes, not seeing the surprised look on Padme's face.


	48. Chapter 48

"Mmm, something smells good!" Ben uttered, as he made his way to the kitchen table. "Do you need help cooking?"

"No," Padme replied. "But you can do the dishes when we are done." Ben sat down, and she gave him a stack of pancakes to eat.

"That was delicious!" Caleb said gleefully, after finishing his breakfast.

"Why, thank you, Caleb," Padme responded.

Facing Ben, she added, "At least someone here likes my cooking!"

"My mouth is full right now!" Ben defended himself. He swallowed his food and told her,

"You're a great cook."

"Okay, you are off the hook," Padme said teasingly. "Caleb, please put the dishes in the sink."

As he did this, Padme reviewed the day's plan with Ben.

"I will head home, and meet with the realtor. You keep Caleb entertained until I call out to you. Hopefully, I will get a buyer quick. Then we can leave Tatooine behind for good," she explained.

"You may leave Tatooine behind, but it will always have a special place in my heart," Ben sighed wistfully.

Padme held his hand. It was not fair. Ben never got to meet any of his family members.

"It's fine. You, Caleb and Leia are my family," Ben replied, knowing her thought.

They landed on Tatooine. Padme headed to her childhood home, while Ben and Caleb went exploring all over the planet. They saw Mos Eisley Cantina, Jabba's Palace, the Sarlacc Pit and other places of interest.

They arrived to the cave that was Obi Wan's home. Ben hesitated momentarily, but Caleb pulled at his leg and said,

"C'mon, let's go inside!" Ben shook his head and followed the boy inside. The cave was just as Ben had left it years ago.

"Did you know that the first time Padme and I met in our dreams, I was in this cave?" Ben told Caleb, after they checked it out.

"I know," Caleb yawned. He was tired from all the walking they did. Ben scooped him up and laid him down on the bed.

"Get some rest, little one," Ben told him. Within minutes, the boy was fast asleep.

Ben decided to step outside for some fresh air. There was not a soul around. He closed his eyes to meditate, but was surprised to hear a male voice say to him,

"Hello there!" Ben's eyes quickly opened. He scanned around, to see where the voice was coming from.

"Ben, do not be afraid. You and the boy are guests in my home," the voice said to him. Suddenly, an older gentleman appeared, illuminated with light.

"Obi Wan?" Ben gasped.

"Yes, it is I," Obi Wan replied, smiling at his grandson. Ben did his best to not collapse to his knees.

"I must be a disappointment to you," Ben finally managed to say. He was ashamed of all the evil things he had done.

"Your assumption is wrong. You just went off the path for a little while. But now, you are fulfilling your destiny."

"Are you sad that I am no longer a Jedi?"

"No. You did not have a choice. Your mother realizes it was a mistake to have Luke train you as a Jedi. Since you are no longer a Jedi, this means you can be a husband and father someday."

Ben nodded his head. He was planning on proposing to Padme once they reached Naboo.

"I will be a father, and hopefully a husband, too. If she says yes," Ben admitted sheepishly. "Will you come to the wedding?"

"Of course," his grandfather assured him. "I would not miss it for anything."

"I just wish I could have met my mother and grandmother."

"They are very proud of you, Ben." Obi Wan was planning on a special surprise for Ben and Padme on their wedding day.

"I did not know Satine was pregnant. Otherwise, I would have left the Jedi order, and raised Sobina with her. But the Force had a different path for me," Obi Wan confessed.

The men talked for a while, before Obi Wan vanished. Ben felt at peace, knowing that he had met his grandfather.

He waited until Caleb woke up from his nap to pack up their hiking supplies. The boy rubbed his eyes and asked Ben,

"Was he nice?"

Ben gave Caleb a puzzled look. Caleb raised his eyebrow.

"Ah, you mean Obi Wan? Yes, was very nice," Ben uttered in realization. "Come, we need to get going."

"Can you please put this in the knapsack?" Caleb handed Ben a small golden book. Ben was surprised. It was "The Theory of Force Bonds" book! He smiled. This was the book he and Padme were reading, before they fell asleep and met each other for the first time.

"I thought this was gone forever!" Ben said in amazement.

"Can I give it to Padme?" Caleb asked.

"Yes, but only if she agrees to marry me, and only as a wedding gift."

"She will say yes."

They left the cave, and headed back into town. They went to a local jeweler, to design the engagement ring Ben would give Padme.

"It's pretty!" Caleb exclaimed. Ben had the jeweler take a piece of the four lightsabers they had to form petals of a flower, with a diamond in the center.

"Do you think she will like it?" Ben asked nervously.

"Yes, because it is from you, Ben," Caleb replied. He gave Ben a hug. He was happy that he was a part of Ben and Padme's family.

"You will always be a part of our family," Ben vowed to the boy, patting him on the head.

Padme called out to them. It was time to head back to the house. She greeted them at the door.

"We have a buyer!" she said cheerfully. Ben hugged her, and Caleb jumped up and down.

"It's Cliff Antilles," she explained. "He's a distant relative of Wedge Antilles. He's married with a pair of twins around Caleb's age."

"When do they want to move in?" Ben asked.

"As soon as possible. Cliff's wife is expecting another set of twins soon."

"Wow! I guess we better start packing then."

"Tomorrow we start packing. I'm exhausted from being on my feet all day!"

"How about you get some rest? I will feed Caleb and put him to bed."

With a mischievous wink, Ben added,

"Then I will put you to bed."

"You are so bad," Padme thought to herself in amusement. Caleb looked at Padme and asked,

"What did he do wrong?" The adults chuckled when the boy said this.

"You will understand when you are older," Padme told him.

Ben cooked dinner, and Caleb begrudgingly ate it. It wasn't very tasty. After dinner, Ben drew a bath for the boy. He watched Caleb play with his bath toys. Afterwards, Caleb put on his pajamas and crawled into bed.

"When are you going to ask Padme to marry you?" the boy said to Ben's mind.

"Once we get to Naboo, I will propose to her," he replied. "Now remember, this is a secret you MUST not tell."

"I won't. I promise."

Ben gave Caleb a kiss on the forehead, tucked him in, and turned off the lights in his room. As he closed the door, Caleb smiled to himself and said as he closed his eyes,

"I am glad to be a part of their family."


	49. Chapter 49

Ben made his way to Padme's bedroom, where she was resting. As soon as he entered, she stirred from her slumber.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," he said, as he closed the door behind him. Padme moved over and motioned for Ben to lie down next to her.

"How did you sleep?" Ben asked.

"Wonderfully," Padme replied, laying her head on his shoulder. "How was your day?"

"Good. Took Caleb all over the planet, visited different places..."

"Did you go to Obi Wan's cave?"

"We did. Padme... I met him!" Ben had a smile on his face when he said this.

"You met Obi Wan? Ben, that's great! He is so nice..."

"How would you know?" Padme blushed in embarrassment.

"I met him the day I was kidnapped," she confessed. "Ben, please don't be mad! Obi Wan was the one that encouraged me to go and face Vader. If he had not done that, I never would have known Anikin Skywalker was my grandfather."

"I see," Ben replied, a serious look on his face. Padme was concerned. Was he upset with her?

"Yes, I am very upset with you," Ben teased, as his lips kissed Padme's neck.

"You're terrible," she giggled, as Ben pulled off her nightgown.

"I know, you've told me." He started undressing. "I'm extremely hot and bothered that you didn't tell me you spoke to my dead grandfather."

"You're hot and bothered, all right," Padme responded, as Ben flung his clothes away. Their naked bodies pressed close together. "But it's not because of Obi Wan."

"You know me so well," Ben seductively whispered before giving Padme a passionate kiss.

"Do you want to eat first?" he asked. Padme shook her head in the negative.

"I think I better do the cooking from now on," she told him. Ben frowned.

"Caleb said it was that bad?"

"Sorry. Cooking is not one of your talents." Padme started caressing Ben's chest, which he thoroughly enjoyed. "But you have so many other talents worth exploring..." She gave him a deep kiss. They made love and fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day was a busy one. Everyone packed up the house. Some stuff was thrown out, other items were donated, and Padme left her old baby clothes for the Antilles family.

It was dark by the time the house was emptied out. Padme glanced around the home that was no longer hers.

"I have so many memories here," she told Ben, as he held her from behind. "Some good, some bad."

"I am sorry for the damage I caused," Ben replied to her mind. "To your house and..."

"Ssh," Padme said privately to him. "That is in the past. It is time to move on with our lives."

"Do you want a minute alone?" Ben asked out loud. Padme nodded her head. He took Caleb by the hand , and said,

"We will wait for you on the ship."

Once she was alone, Padme went to each room of the house. The memories of her childhood came flooding back in her head; her birthdays, her graduation day, even her eventful sixteenth birthday. She missed her parents and Chewy. Padme had always wanted to leave Tatooine, and now, a part of her wanted to stay.

"I can't stay here," Padme thought to herself. "This is where I grew up. But I'm not a child anymore. I have a man who loves me, a child to take care of and a child on the way. I need to start a new life with them. So goodbye, old house. I hope the Antilles family will make many wonderful memories here."

Padme walked to the front door, and opened it. She took one last look behind her, before smiling and exiting the home. She headed to her neighbor's house, and left them the keys for Cliff Antilles.

"I'm ready!" Padme told Ben, as she entered the cockpit of the Legacy.

"Caleb is already asleep," Ben replied, as he started the engine. "It was a long day for him."

"It was a long day for all of us."

"Padme, go get some rest."

"Ben, you need someone to help you stay awake."

"You need to rest, for yourself and for Leia."

Padme sighed. There was no point in arguing, so she sighed and said,

"Goodnight." She gave Ben a quick kiss before retiring for the night.

Ben placed a video call to Angeles Dollslayer. She was back on Naboo, finishing up the final details of her father's estate.

"Hello, Ben," Angeles said to him.

"Hello," Ben replied. "I have good news, Padme and I were able to sell the house on Tatooine. Were you able to secure for us a home on Naboo?"

"Yes. You will be living in the former estate of Senator Padme Amidala."

Ben sensed something was bothering the senator.

"Angeles, what is wrong?"

"My apologies, Ben. I just found out I was adopted. I'm in shock right now."

"Understood. How did you find out, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I found out at the reading of my father's will. The reading was pushed back due to the end of the war, and the transition afterwards. My mother did not want me to know about it until they were deceased."

"Do you know who your biological parents are?"

"Yes, and were. Both of them are deceased."

Ben gave Angeles a sympathetic look. He understood all too well the loneliness of not having family.

"Apparently, I was not born on Naboo," Angeles continued. "My birth certificate says I was born on Mandalore."

"Mandalore?" Ben gasped in shock.

"Yes. My biological parents were both Mandalorians," she clarified.

"I am sorry to hear they are both deceased. My parents were Mandalorians, too."

"I did not know you were Mandalorian, Ben," Angeles stated, surprised by this revelation.

"I didn't know myself, until a couple of years ago. What are their names?"

"My biological mother's name was Ursula Covington. Name ring a bell?"

"No. Sorry." Ben heard a noise from behind. Caleb was heading towards him.

"Caleb, go back to bed," Ben scolded him. Caleb looked up to see Angeles on the screen.

"Hi, Senator Dollslayer!" the boy said with excitement in his voice.

"Hello, Caleb," Angeles replied. "Ben is right, you should head to bed."

"But I can't!" the boy protested. "Padme is sleeping, and I need to be here for Ben." Caleb rose from the chair and climbed onto Ben's lap.

"For me? I'm in a private conversation with the senator," Ben explained.

"The senator is telling you about how she found out she was adopted, right?"

"Caleb, now you know better than to listen to people's private conversations..."

"But I wasn't, I promise! I just want to be here when your father's name is mentioned."

"My father's name? That's it, off to bed you go!"

"His name is Skeet Shipshooter, isn't it?" Caleb suddenly blurted out.

"It is. But how did you know that?" Ben asked. He did not notice the pale look on Angeles' face when his father's name was mentioned.

Caleb turned towards the screen, pointed up and said,

"His name is on the paper she is holding."

Angeles held up the paper close to the screen, so that Ben could see it for himself. His eyes bulged in disbelief. His father's name was on her birth certificate!


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's note: If you want to read this from Angeles' point of view, you can read my story "Family Ties".**

"He's right!" Angeles gasped. "My biological father was Skeet Shipshooter."

"I told you, Ben," Caleb said softly, as he hugged him. Ben could only stare at Angeles, who was in tears at this point.

"I think the both of us need to take a DNA test when you get to Naboo," Angeles managed to say. "I hope it's true, Ben. I have no family left."

"I hope so, too," Ben replied back, still in shock.

"It's getting late. You need to put Caleb to bed. Have a good night, Ben."

"Same to you, Angeles." Ben disconnected the call. Caleb broke the embrace and said,

"You can take the test, but it's true. You and the senator are half brother and sister."

"Here I thought I had no family members alive!" Ben exclaimed. He look at the boy, and added,

"I'm sorry I was made at you. How long did you know this?"

"From when she met us at the base. I couldn't tell you, because her father's will had not been read yet," he explained.

"The one time you keep a secret!" Ben lovingly patted Caleb's head.

"Uh huh." The boy yawned. "Can I go back to bed now?"

Ben scooped him up and carried Caleb back to his room. Once he was tucked in, Ben headed to bed.

"Funny how the Force works sometimes," he thought to himself before he fell asleep.

When Ben woke up the next morning, he saw that Padme was not there. Then he smelled the aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Padme teased, as Ben kissed the side of her head. "I have your coffee and your breakfast on the table."

"Thanks," Ben replied, as he sat down to eat. "Where's Caleb?"

"He is getting dressed. How long until we reach Naboo?"

"Soon. I spoke with Angeles Dollslayer yesterday, after you went to bed. She found us a home. Padme, it is your grandmother's estate we will be living in."

"That's wonderful news! We will have space for our expanding family." Ben smiled nervously when she said that.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Padme asked, as she sat down next to him.

"You don't know how true that statement is right now," he replied. "Our family is expanding."

"If you are going to tell me I'm having twins..."

"No, my love. Padme, I found out last night that I have a sister. We share the same biological father."

It took a minute for Padme to realize what Ben was saying.

"Senator Dollslayer is your sister?" she uttered in surprise.

"According to her birth certificate and Caleb, she is. We will still need to do a DNA test..." Ben explained.

"This is great news! Ben, you have a sister!" But he did not share Padme's enthusiasm.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Padme asked.

"Angeles is going to ask questions about Skeet Shipshooter. Questions that I can't answer, and..." Ben paused, pushing a stray lock of hair from Padme's face. "Questions I'd rather not answer. If I have to choose, I'm choosing you, Padme."

"It won't come to that, Ben," Padme reassured him. "Angeles seems like a reasonable person. You won't have to choose between the two of us."

They finished breakfast and got dressed. Soon, all three crew members were in the cockpit.

"Everyone have a seat," Ben instructed. "Next stop is Naboo!"

A few hours later, they arrived on the planet. Angeles was there to greet them, along with her security detail.

"Welcome to Naboo," she said to the family, shaking their hands. "We will have movers come to bring the boxes to the estate. Would you like a tour of your new home?"

"Yes," Padme said. She studied Angeles. She could see the resemblance between Ben and the senator. They both had the same hair and eye color.

Angeles gave them a tour of the Amidala estate, Padme marveled at how large it was. The senator explained that servants would be hired to help maintain the beauty of the estate.

"I'm sure it is a full time job just to maintain it," Ben said to Padme's mind.

"But we can do a lot here," she replied back. "And if we decide to have any more children..."

"Say no more. If this is what you want, then it is what I want."

"Thank you, Ben." She squeezed his hand.

After the tour, Angeles turned to the young couple and asked,

"Why don't I take Caleb off your hands for a couple of hours?"

"I don't know..." Padme uttered nervously.

"Please, can I go with her?" Caleb begged, jumping up and down. "She's my aunt..."

"Did you..." Angeles questioned Ben.

"Yes, Padme knows," Ben assured her. "We need to get the DNA test done. Can we schedule it for tomorrow? Padme will need to visit an OBGYN."

"What?" Angeles exclaimed, as she face Padme. "You're pregnant?" Padme nodded her head.

"Congratulations!" Angeles added, as she embraced Padme. "So I may become a sister and an aunt in the same day."

"You already are, Auntie," Caleb reminded her.

"How about calling me Angeles and not Auntie? I'm not ready for the rocking chair yet, little one!"

"So can Auntie, I mean, Angeles, take me out?" Caleb pleaded.

Ben looked at Padme and nodded. This was the perfect opportunity for them to be alone, so that he could propose to her.

"Okay. Since Angeles has security, you can go with her," Padme told Caleb. "I want you to be on your best behavior." As she explained to the boy how to behave, Ben pulled the engagement ring out of the knapsack. A few minutes later, Angeles gave Padme a watch.

"You can call me with this when you want him back home," Angeles told her. "Caleb, are you ready?"

"Yes, Angeles!" Caleb shouted happily, as he took her hand. "Bye Padme! Bye Ben! See you soon!"

"Bye!" both Ben and Padme said, waving to Caleb before he left with Angeles.

"What should we do for the next couple of hours?" Padme wondered, as she embraced Ben. In a seductive voice she added,

"I know what you want to do..."

"Not yet," Ben replied, winking at her. "Let's go grab a big blanket and find our meadow."

"Ooh, how romantic!" They quickly found one. With the blanket in one hand and Padme's hand in the other, Ben led her out of the house. Hopefully, they would come back engaged.


	51. Chapter 51

Thankfully, their meadow was located on the estate. Padme pointed to where the tree was. Ben felt nervous as he laid the blanket down.

"You're quiet," Padme said to him, as they sat and faced each other.

"Sorry. I'm enjoying this moment by ourselves," Ben replied, before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I know. These moments alone are precious gifts. Especially after everything we have been through."

"Speaking of gifts," Ben said, seizing the opportunity. "I have a gift for you."

"For me? But it's not my birthday..." Padme stopped speaking when she saw the box with a ring in it. Tearing up, she looked up at Ben, who took a deep breath and asked,

"Padme Shmi Desertwar, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she replied without hesitation. Ben removed the ring from the box and slid it on Padme's finger.

"Ben, it's beautiful!" she marveled. The ring had a small diamond in its center, with four different colored gems shaped like petals surrounding the diamond.

"Just like you, my love," Ben cooed, kissing the side of her head. "Do you recognize the petals?"

Padme was curious about the petals. One was green, one was red, one was blue and one was white. She shrugged her shoulders.

"The petals were made from small pieces of the lightsaber crystals," Ben explained. Padme was surprised. "I wanted you to know that I will never hurt you or our family again."

"What do you mean?"

"I hurt you, your parents, Luke... But this ring is a symbol that we are united, as one family."

"I love you, Ben," Padme told him, before she kissed him. He stroked her hair and replied,

"I love you, too. How about we finish up what we started doing in the meadow from our dream?" he slyly suggested.

"And what was that... Oh!" Ben's lips were on Padme's neck.

"We are outside! Someone may see us!" Padme warned nervously.

"No one is around," Ben promised her, as he began to unbutton his shirt. "No one will interrupt us."

Ben undressed first, then helped Padme take off her dress. He gently laid her nude body on the blanket.

"I can't believe I get to make love to my fiancee," Ben whispered, as he gently kissed Padme. "And soon, my bride." She smiled sweetly at him. She relaxed in Ben's arms as he made love to her.

Afterwards, they got dressed and made their way back inside. Padme loved gazing at her engagement ring. She knew Ben put a lot of thought into it.

"I guess we should discuss what we want to do for the wedding," Ben offered, as they sat in their bedroom.

"Ben, since I'm pregnant, I don't want to wait. Let's get married soon," Padme suggested.

"How soon?"

"As soon as possible. I don't want this to be a public affair."

"Agreed. So we will have a small wedding. It will be you, me, Caleb and Angeles."

"I think it would be nice if you invited Captain Phasma. She did help you dismantle the Order."

"I don't know if she will come, but I will ask. Is there anyone else you want to invite?"

"I want to invite Finn and Poe. If it wasn't for them, Starkiller Base would still be around." Padme was concerned about Ben still being jealous of Poe, but she was relieved when he nodded his head in the affirmative.

"We have an hour before we should call Angeles to bring Caleb back," Ben reminded Padme. "I guess we should start unpacking."

That was when Padme placed her hand on his chest, and gently pushed him down on the bed. She straddled him, and stated,

"I have a better idea." She leaned down and gave him a long kiss.

"Your idea is better!" Ben moaned, as the lovers kissed repeatedly.

When Angeles brought Caleb back, Ben and Padme were waiting for them in the living room. Caleb ran to Ben, and gave him a big hug. Then he went to Padme, and looked up at her. She smiled. He knew already, but he wanted to see for himself. So she showed him the ring.

"What? You're engaged?" Angeles gasped in shock.

"We are," Ben replied, now at Padme's side.

"Congratulations!" The senator hugged them.

"Thank you," Padme said to Angeles. "We want to get married soon. We are inviting very few people."

"I understand. Both of you were in the public eye. You deserve some privacy."

"In fact," Ben interjected. "Besides Padme and I, there will be only two people in the wedding party. One is Caleb, he will be the ring bearer..."

"The other is you," Padme said to Angeles, finishing Ben's statement. Angeles gave them a look of disbelief.

"Stand for the both of us," Ben stated, making their intentions clear.

"You mean as maid of honor and best woman?" Angeles asked. "I never heard of such a thing! But yes, I will stand for both of you." The adults took turns hugging each other.

"Who else is invited?" Angeles wanted to know.

"Ben is inviting Captain Phasma, and I am inviting Finn and Poe," Padme answered her.

"Ok." Caleb said to Ben's mind,

"Auntie's in love with Poe!"

"That doesn't surprise me. Most of the women in the galaxy love him," Ben honestly confessed to the boy.

"Ben, Poe loves her, too!"

"Caleb, are you sure?'

"Absolutely." The boy had a big smile on his face. Ben knew what he was thinking.

"Don't tell them. They need to come together on their own."

Ben and Padme decided to get married a week after their arrival to Naboo. This way, it would give time for the people that were invited to the wedding to get to the planet. They were very busy during that week.

The next day, they went to their first doctor's appointment, The doctor examined Padme and the baby, and said they were both doing well. Afterwards, she accompanied Ben to the geneticist, who took a DNA sample from him. Angeles had already provided her sample. She told the doctor to give her the test results once they were in.

Ben and Caleb were practicing moving objects using the Force when the doorbell rang. Padme was upstairs resting. Ben went to answer the door. Caleb followed him, already knowing who was there.

"Hello," Angeles said to them. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Ben replied. All three headed to the living room. Angeles held an envelope in her hand.

"Here are the results. I didn't open it yet. I thought we should do this together."

They sat down on the couch. Both were very nervous.

"Why are you scared?" Caleb questioned them. "Just open the envelope already!"

"Are you ready?" Angeles asked Ben.

"As ready as I will ever be," Ben uttered. She opened up the envelope, and slid a piece of paper out of it. She moved it so that she and Ben could read the test results together. After a couple of minutes of silence, Angeles placed the paper back in the envelope. She offered it to Ben, and said misty eyed,

"Here. You keep the results, baby brother."


	52. Chapter 52

"Thank you, big sister," Ben replied. He embraced Angeles as she cried.

"Is she okay?" Caleb asked Ben via the Force. He thought she would be happy!

"Yes. She's crying happy tears. She doesn't feel alone anymore," Ben explained.

"Oh," was all Caleb could say to that. He didn't understand the difference between happy and sad tears, but he guessed he would learn as he got older.

When Padme woke up from her nap, Ben shared the good news with her. She hugged him and said,

"Our family is expanding."

"It is sure. Funny how the Force works sometimes," Ben uttered. He smiled at his fiancée. He could not wait to see Padme in her wedding dress.

Ben took Angeles to a private dinner, so that he could tell her the ugly truth about their biological father. He was worried on she would react to the news.

She saw the look of worry in her brother's face, and said,

"Ben, I know Skeet was an evil man."

"What? But how?" he gasped. Then he realized how she knew. Caleb!

"Don't be angry with him," Angeles pleaded. "He was worried that I would be angry at Padme for killing Skeet."

"Oh Maker! How much does he know about Skeet?" Ben wondered out loud.

"He knows our conceptions were not pleasant."

"Our? Oh Angeles, I am sorry," Ben replied, now knowing she was also conceived via rape. He took her hand in support. She wiped a tear away.

"I am okay. I had adoptive parents that loved me."

"And I had Luke Skywalker. Wait, does Caleb know..."

"Not the biological part. He saw our birth mothers in deep pain. If he was older, then he would probably know."

"I'm relieved! I'm not ready to have the sex talk with a six year old!"

"Ben, he is a remarkable little boy. And I am guessing a very powerful Force user?" Her brother remained silent.

"He didn't say anything. I can tell," Angeles added. "I will make sure he has his own private security until he is an adult."

"Thank you," Ben said in appreciation of her offer. Now he and Padme wouldn't have to worry about Caleb's safety.

The day of the wedding arrived. Padme woke up early. Ben and Caleb stayed with Angeles at her estate, per Padme's request.

"Today is my wedding day!" Padme squealed to herself, as she relaxed with a bath. "I thought this would never happen, and the day is finally here!"

She had just finishing drying herself off when she heard the doorbell. Padme threw on a robe and headed downstairs.

"Good morning," Angeles said to Padme, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Here are our dresses!"

The two women headed upstairs to change. Angeles wore a flowy sleeveless blue dress, with a thin silver belt around the waist.

"You look so pretty!" Padme exclaimed. "Although I know you wear black a lot..."

"At least it's not pink!" Angeles said with a laugh. "Come. Let's get you into your wedding dress."

Padme's dress was a sleeveless white dress, with a sweetheart neckline. It was flowy at the bottom, with a silver jewel placed on the left side of the dress.

"You look amazing!" Angeles gasped, after Padme was finished with her hair and makeup. "Ben will love it!"

"I hope so," Padme uttered, now getting nervous. Thankfully, she was distracted by the sound of the doorbell.

"Who could that be?" Angeles wondered curiously.

"How about we put on our shoes and find out?" Padme offered.

They put on their shoes and went downstairs. They felt safe, since Angeles' security team would defend them from anyone wishing to cause them harm.

Angeles opened the door. It was a delivery team. They had their bouquets, and they also carried in a couple of boxes.

"What are the boxes?" Angeles asked one of the delivery guys.

"They are from the groom," the man replied. "The smaller box is yours, Senator. The bigger one is for the bride."

"Ok." She took the boxes from the man, and brought them into the living room.

"What are those?" Padme wondered.

"These are from Ben," Angeles told her. "Let's see what is in the boxes."

Angeles opened her box first. Inside was jewelry to match her dress. She received a necklace, earrings and a bracelet.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Padme said, as Angeles put the jewelry on.

"Let's see what is in your box," Angeles suggested. Both women gasped when they saw Padme's jewelry. She had a small silver tiara, with a white kyber crystal in the center. She was given a silver necklace, two bracelets, a ring , and an ankle bracelet, all with the same white crystal on them. Ben has used pieces of his lightsaber crystal. Padme smiled, then laughed.

"What's so funny?" Angeles questioned in confusion, as she helped her future sister-in-law put on her jewelry.

"For his gift, I gave Ben a new lightsaber hilt," Padme explained. She knew Ben had received it at that moment, and was also laughing.

"I see."

Once Angeles finished putting everything on Padme, she said with joy,

"It's time to go."

Padme nodded her head. They grabbed their bouquets and headed outside. They did not have far to go, since Ben and Padme were getting married in their meadow. She could see her groom from a distance. He wore a suit to match Angeles' dress.

The two women were approached by a tall, blonde woman with blue eyes. She wore a grayish sundress. She smiled at them and said,

"It is nice to see both of you again, under better circumstances."

Padme studied the woman's profile, and dropped her mouth open.

"Captain Phasma!" the bride exclaimed.

"Please, call me Brienne," Phasma insisted. "The minister wants to know if you are ready to start the wedding."

"Is everyone here?"

"Yes." At that moment, Caleb came running over to the three women.

"Ooh, you look pretty!" he said to Padme.

"Do you have the rings, Caleb?" she asked, feeling nervous again.

"Yes," he replied out loud. To her mind, he added, "Don't worry. Ben is nervous, too!" Padme smiled at that thought.

"Please tell the minister we are ready," Padme said to Brienne. The woman nodded her head and walked away.

"Remember Caleb, no running down the aisle," Angeles reminded him. He rolled his eyes and lined up. Angeles went behind him, and Padme was last in line.

"Are you ready?" Angeles said to Padme.

"Yes, "Padme replied. Although she was nervous, she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the man of her dreams, the man that was waiting patiently for her at the altar.

 **Author's note: I am not a "GOT" watcher, but I couldn't resist giving Phasma that name :)**


	53. Chapter 53

The music started. Caleb walked obediently down the aisle. Ben winked at him as the boy joined him at the altar.

Angeles walked down next. She could not help but look over at where Poe was sitting. He gave her a warm smile. She smiled back before approaching the altar. She and Ben shared a look before the music changed.

It was now Padme's turn to walk down the aisle. But she was not alone. Caleb saw two Force Ghosts holding Padme's arms!

"Ben, look!" Caleb said silently. But Ben refused to look. He wanted to see Padme once she was there with him.

"I know, Caleb. Anikin and Luke are walking with her," Ben said, his eyes still closed.

"She's crying happy tears," Caleb added. A moment passed before the boy said,

"Open your eyes. She is here."

Ben opened his eyes, and saw his beautiful, teary eyes bride. She was stunning in her wedding dress. He knew he was the luckiest guy in the galaxy, to be marrying her.

Padme gave Angeles her bouquet. When she turned to face Ben, he drew close and wiped her tears away. The guests gushed when they saw this. After he finished, Ben took Padme's hands into his.

"You're beautiful," Ben told her via the Force, as the minister began the ceremony.

Caleb gave the rings to the minister. He gave Ben Padme's ring and asked him to recite his vows.

"I, Ben Kenobi, take you. Padme Shmi Desertwar, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. To love and to cherish from this day forward until the Force parts us in death," Ben said, as he slipped the silver wedding band on his bride's finger.

The minister gave Padme Ben's ring and asked her to recite her vows.

"I, Padme Shmi Desertwar, take you. Ben Kenobi, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. To love and to cherish from this day forward until the Force parts us in death," Padme said, as she slipped the silver wedding band on her groom's finger.

"Ben and Padme have consented together in matrimony, and have pledged their love and loyalty to each other, by the giving and receiving of rings. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," the minister announced. "Ben, you may kiss your bride!"

Ben leaned in and gave Padme a sweet kiss. Everyone clapped except for Caleb. He didn't like the kissing part, but he was happy Ben and Padme were going to be together to raise him. The boy smiled at that thought.

"We're married!" Padme exclaimed.

"Yes, we are!" Ben replied. "Everything we went through was worth it, for this moment." He gave her another kiss.

"May I now introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Kenobi!" the minister shouted. Everyone stood from their seats and clapped. Padme and Ben saw in the distance Anikin, Luke and Obi Wan.

"He came!" Padme said of Obi Wan, as they walked down the aisle.

"He did," Ben responded with a smile. "He promised he would."

The newlywed couple posed for pictures with themselves, and with Caleb and Angeles. Once that was done, Finn, Poe and Brienne joined them.

"I'm hungry!" Caleb complained. "When is lunch going to be ready?"

"Soon," Padme told him. "The caterers are setting up the table."

"So how does it feel to be married?" Finn asked.

"Wonderful!" Padme and Ben replied in unison, before they laughed.

Caleb saw Angeles walk away. She was talking to her watch. He frowned, because he knew she was about to receive some bad news. Poe noticed, and walked over to her. She ended her conversation, and saw Poe approach her. She said a few words to him, and then he embraced her.

"What's going on?" Finn asked.

To Ben and Padme, Caleb said via the Force,

"Auntie's personal pilot died of a heart attack. She was close to him."

Padme nodded in understanding. She said to the rest of the guests,

"Let's go inside. The food should be ready by now. Caleb, go tell Angeles and Poe when they are ready to come inside." Caleb did as Padme told him, and the adults headed indoors, where lunch was being served.

Angeles and Poe were the last ones seated. Finn and Brienne sat next to each other. Caleb sat next to Ben, who sat next to Padme.

"The food is delicious!" Brienne exclaimed. "It's even better than the food the First Order had. Which is saying a lot!"

"That was the only good thing about the First Order," Finn uttered, before shoving food in his mouth. Brienne laughed at his comment.

"I'm glad you like it," Angeles sighed sadly. She told everyone,

"I am going to have to leave. My personal pilot just passed away, and I need to visit his widow."

"I am sorry to hear that," Ben said to his big sister, although he already knew. The rest of the group offered their condolences.

"I am sorry that I have to leave," Angeles added, as she said goodbye to everyone. She gave Ben and Padme warm hugs.

"You are not going alone," Poe suddenly said. "I am going with you."

"Poe, that's not necessary..." Angeles started to argue.

"I insist. Come with me. You said Leslie lives on Coreilla. We can get there on the Ghost."

Angeles saw there was no arguing with Poe, so she nodded her head in agreement.

"Congratulations," Poe said to Ben and Padme. He said his goodbyes to the others before he and Angeles left.

Once they were out of sight, Finn asked,

"How long do you think it will take for them to get together? I say two months."

"Two weeks," Brienne countered.

"We probably should not be having this conversation now," Padme told him, motioning to Caleb. "Besides, the cake is about to be served."

The caterer brought out the small wedding cake, which was chocolate. Ben and Padme cut the first slice and fed each other with it. Then the caterer served everyone their slices.

"This is really good!" Finn admitted, as he devoured his piece.

"It was the cake I was served when I was Vader's prisoner," Padme explained. Finn stared choking when he heard that. Brienne had to push hard into Finn's midsection to dislodge the piece of cake.

After he recovered, Finn stated,

"You were a prisoner of both Emperor Vader AND General Hux? Wow, Padme! You must be strong, to have survived both of them!" Padme and Ben looked at each other and smiled.

Brienne and Finn said their goodbyes about an hour later. Ben, Padme and Caleb headed inside. It had been a long day for them, and the boy was starting to get sleepy.

"Let's go to sleep together, as a family," Ben suggested. Padme thought the idea was strange.

"Can I sleep in the middle?" Caleb asked.

"Yes."

"Shouldn't we get undressed first?" Padme asked. Caleb had already climbed into their bed.

"No," Ben told her. "You can take off your shoes, but you need to remain dressed. Trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay," she uttered, still confused as to why she was going to bed with her wedding dress still on. Padme slipped off of her shoes, and laid down next to Caleb. Ben tossed his shoes off, and laid down on Caleb's other side. He held Padme's hand over the boy, who had already fallen asleep.

"I will see you in our meadow," Ben told her, giving her a wink. She smiled at him before they both fell asleep.

 **Author's note: If you want to know how long it took for Angeles and Poe to "get together", please read my story, "Not Afraid Anymore".**


	54. Chapter 54

All three found themselves in the meadow. Padme wondered why they were there. She saw Obi Wan approach them.

"Hello there!" Obi Wan greeted them. "Congratulations on your wedding."

"Thank you for coming," Ben said to his grandfather. He knew what was going to happen, but he let Obi Wan explain.

"You're welcome. Padme, I know you were a little sad today, because your parents were not there to see you get married. Until now."

Obi Wan stepped out of the way, and Padme's jaw dropped open.

"Hi, sweetheart!" she heard her father say, as he approached her, Her mother was with him. Padme ran immediately to them. They embraced their daughter as she wept in their arms.

"They may be a while," Obi Wan said with a wink. He faced Caleb and told him,

"Little one, your family is up ahead, waiting for you." Caleb looked in the direction Obi Wan pointed in. He smiled. His mom, Chewy, Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, Kanan and Hera were waving at him. He ran to greet them.

Ben smiled with joy, seeing Padme and Caleb reunited with their loved ones. He saw Luke approach him. He was accompanied by two women.

"Ben!" Luke uttered, as they embraced.

"Ben, I would like you to meet your grandmother, Duchess Satine Kryze," Luke introduced them. Satine greeted her grandson warmly. She joined Obi Wan by his side.

"Ben," Luke said softly. "This is your mother, Sobina." Ben was shocked. His mother, the one who gave her life to bring him into the world, stood before him. He embraced her, the tears streaking down both their faces.

"My baby boy," Sobina whispered, as she looked up to her son. "I loved you from the moment I found out I was pregnant. Never doubt that."

"Yes, Mom," Ben replied, as he embraced her again.

"I can't wait to see you get married!" Leia gushed.

"Mom, Ben and I am already married," Padme explained.

"Surprise! We are getting married again!" Ben said to her mind. "The minister is by the tree, waiting for us."

"You knew about this?"

"Obi Wan told me before the wedding started. So my love, are you ready to get married again?"

"Not yet. We are missing two family members. When they come, I will marry you."

"Agreed. I will see you at the altar."

Ben headed to the minister. He felt fearful as he approached the hooded man. The minister removed his hood. Ben recognized the man, and took a cautious step back.

"Do not be afraid," the old man assured him. "I hold no grudge against you."

"I am sorry..." Ben apologized.

"I know. Treat Padme and your children well."

Everyone except for Padme, her parents and Luke found their seats.

"Here they come!" Luke shouted. They turned around to see Anikin walking with a little girl. Anikin gave Padme a big hug before he and Luke sat down.

"Mom, Dad," Padme stated nervously. "This is your granddaughter, Leia."

Both Han and Leia were shocked. Leia walked over to Padme and touched her stomach.

"You're pregnant!" she exclaimed joyfully. She hugged her daughter. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Mom," Padme told her. She noticed her father was quiet. Padme worried that he was upset with her for being pregnant before marriage.

But it was the little girl with curly black hair and blue eyes that caught Han's attention.

"Don't be mad at my daddy," the girl said to her grandfather. "If it wasn't for him, General Hux would have been my daddy."

This caused Han to gaze at Padme. His eyes were full of compassion.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said, trying not to cry. "I wish I was there to protect you."

"That is in the past. You don't have to worry about me anymore. Ben will protect me," Padme promised him. "Now can you and Mom give me away?"

"Of course." Han smiled at his daughter. She was all grown up. She was married with an adoptive child and a child on the way. But in his heart, Padme would always be his little girl.

"Leia, start walking down the aisle," Padme instructed her daughter.

"Okay, Mommy," Leia replied.

Han stood on one side of Padme, and Leia stood on the other side.

"Ready, sweetheart?" Leia asked her daughter.

"I'm ready!" Padme exclaimed happily.

"Leia, let's give our daughter away," Han said to his wife. They walked Padme down the aisle.

Padme arrived at the altar. She smiled at Ben, and noticed the minister. He was wearing a black hooded robe. She thought that was odd.

"I guess we can get started," Padme offered. Ben shook his head.

"There is one more person that wants to say hello to you," Ben responded. Padme was confused. The minister reached out to touch Padme's shoulder. She turned to face him.

"Did you forget about me, Padme?" she heard an older, male voice say to her. She gasped in surprise, and started to cry. The man removed his hood.

"I didn't forget about you, despite your mind wipe," he said teasingly to her.

"Vanee!" she managed to say before the sobs came. The old man held her until she calmed down. He smiled at her after she had calmed down, and asked Padme,

"Are you ready to get married again?"

She could only nod her head. Seeing all her loved ones was overwhelming. But Padme managed to compose herself, as Vanee married her and Ben by their tree.

After the couple met each other's families, they filled everyone in on what had happened to them. It seemed like they were in the dream for a long time.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Many tears were shed. But Ben, Padme and Caleb knew they had to go. They waved goodbye to their loved ones.

"May the Force be with you!" their family shouted in unison. A moment later, Ben, Padme and Caleb woke up.

"Thank you," Padme whispered, still holding her husband's hand.

"You're welcome," he replied, smiling at her. Caleb yawned and asked,

"Can I go to my room now?"

"You're still tired, aren't you?" Padme asked. The boy nodded his head.

"I will take him," Ben offered. He scooped Caleb up in his arms.

"Goodnight, Padme," Caleb said, his eyes starting to close.

"Goodnight. Caleb." Ben took the boy to his room. While he was gone, Padme used the time to get out of her wedding dress and into a beautiful, silky nightgown.

"Caleb is tucked in..." Ben started to say, before he noticed Padme's nightgown. He grinned as he began to undress in front of her.

"Come make love to me, my husband," Padme cooed. Ben wasted no time in undressing and crawling into bed.

"As you wish, my wife," he whispered, before kissing her. Soon, the nightgown was removed, and the couple made love for the first time as husband and wife.


	55. Chapter 55

The family settled into their new life on Naboo. Ben took over the distribution of Hux's finances. This was his gift to Padme on her eighteenth birthday. She made regular visits to the OBGYN, and stayed home to take care of Caleb. He loved having Padme with him all the time.

Caleb also loved spending time with Angeles, when her schedule allowed it. Poe became her personal pilot, and then they became lovers. The senator and the commander were inseparable.

Time passed, and Padme progressed in her pregnancy. The soon to be parents had one concern. Leia was due to be born on Caleb's seventh birthday. They sat down with the boy to break the news to him.

"This doesn't mean she will be born on your birthday," Padme explained. "Most times, babies come either before or after their due date."

"Okay," Caleb said. But he already knew. Leia was going to be born on his birthday. What Ben and Padme did not know was that Caleb and Leia had already discussed her being born on his birthday.

The night before, Caleb was asleep in his room. He was in the meadow, and saw Leia waiting for him.

"Hi, little sister," Caleb said to the girl.

"Hi, big brother," Leia replied. "It is time for Mommy to go into labor. It is going to hurt, but she will be happy once she sees me. Auntie Angeles and Poe have a great surprise planned for you."

"Really? Tell me what it is!" Caleb already knew what the surprise would be, but he wanted to hear it from his sister.

"No! You need to figure it out for yourself." Leia realized Caleb already knew what the surprise was.

"Fine, I will!" He stuck his tongue out at her. Then his expression became serious.

"Will you and Padme be okay?" he questioned her.

"Yes. Don't worry, Caleb," Leia assured him.

"I will do my best to look after you, Leia. No matter what. Even when you drive me crazy!" It was Leia's turn to stick her tongue out at him.

"Can I get a hug before Mommy goes into labor?" Leia asked. Caleb nodded, and the two children embraced.

"Happy birthday, Caleb!" Leia exclaimed, before she disappeared.

At that moment, Padme woke up with a painful contraction. She shook Ben from his sleep.

"Ben, it's time!" she told him. He quickly got dressed and helped her get ready. He called Angeles, and she arrived a few minutes later. It was one o'clock in the morning.

"I will call you once our daughter has been born," Ben told his older sister.

"Okay. I will let Caleb know when he wakes up that you're at the hospital," Angeles promised.

"Tell Caleb I love him," Padme breathed out during contractions. She and Ben headed to the hospital.

Angeles decided to call Poe, to let him know where she was.

"Hi there, sweetie," Poe said to her. "You're calling very late."

"Sorry. I'm over at Ben and Padme's place. They just left for the hospital. The baby is on her way," Angeles explained.

"That's wonderful! I'm glad you called me to let me know. So our plans for the birthday boy are definitely on?"

"Yes. It will distract him from worrying about Padme and the baby. I will feed him breakfast, and then you pick us up at 9am."

"Yes, Senator," he teased his girlfriend.

"I think we are way past using my title when we are alone, Commander," Angeles teased back. Poe chuckled in amusement.

"Get some rest, my love. I will see you at 9."

"Goodnight." Angeles disconnected the call. She retreated to one of the guest rooms and fell asleep.

Caleb woke up after 7am to the smell of cooking. He rushed down to the kitchen, and saw Angeles there.

"Happy birthday, Caleb!" she told the boy, as he sat down at the table. "Padme and Ben are at the hospital."

"The baby's coming!" Caleb said full of excitement. Angeles gave him his plate of food to eat.

"Yes, she is. Eat your breakfast. At 9, Poe is coming to pick us up. He is going to teach you how to fly the Ghost."

"Yea!" Caleb shouted joyfully. "Are you going to be there too?"

"Of course, I will be there," Angeles promised, patting the boy on the head.

Caleb knew that Angeles would be there. She thought he was surprised by the flying lesson. Little did she know that she was the one that was going to be surprised today.

Poe picked them up at 9. They drove to the hanger, and boarded the Ghost.

"Happy birthday, Caleb!" Poe told the boy, as he sat in the captain's chair. "Sit next to me. BB8 is already on top of the ship. Angeles, are you buckled in?"

"Yes, Commander," Angeles sweetly said. Both Poe and Caleb buckled themselves in, and Poe turned on the engine. He explained in detail to him how to take off, accelerate and land.

Once they landed, Poe turned to Caleb and said,

"Now it's your turn, buddy." But Caleb was silent. He closed his eyes and started crying.

"What's wrong?" Poe asked, full of concern. Angeles stood from her seat and went over to Caleb.

"Caleb, what is the matter?" Angeles uttered, as she knelt next to him.

"The baby is coming, and Padme is in pain!" Caleb moaned. Angeles held his hand.

"It will be okay. The pain will soon be gone, and your sister will be born," she tried to comfort him.

"I'm glad I'm a boy!" Caleb yelled, closing his eyes. Poe had to restrain himself from laughing. The boy had a tight grip of his aunt's hand.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Padme was in pain. The doctor told her it was time to push. Ben was there, holding her hand. She gave two hard pushes.

"I can't do this!" Padme cried in pain.

"Yes, you can," Ben encouraged her. "The doctor said you need to push again. Just one more push, and then we will see our little Leia."

Padme gathered all her strength and pushed one more time. The next sound she heard was her newborn crying. Padme shed tears of joy.

"You did it!" Ben beamed, kissing Padme on the forehead. The doctor asked Ben to cut the umbilical cord, which he did. After the nurse cleaned up the baby, she gave the newborn to Padme.

"Congratulations on your baby girl," the nurse said to the couple.

Padme cradled the baby in her arms. She was beautiful. Her little blue eyes opened up and looked at her mother.

"Ben, she is beautiful!" Padme gushed, as she gazed at the little life she brought into the world.

"Just like her mother," Ben insisted. "May I hold her?"

"Of course." Padme handed the baby to Ben. She was so tiny, yet powerful in the Force.

"What are you going to name your daughter?" the nurse asked, as she began to fill out the birth certificate.

"Her name is Leia Sobina Kenobi," Ben stated, as he smiled at his wife. Padme smiled back at him.

Caleb finally relaxed in Angeles' arms, holding her neck tightly. She caressed his back to calm him down.

"Your watch," Poe pointed out to her. "Ben just called you."

"Ben!" she said, once his voice came on. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Padme just gave birth. She and the baby are fine," Ben explained.

"Thank the Maker! Someone was concerned."

"Is Caleb there? Let me speak to him."

"Caleb, Ben wants to talk to you." Angeles put her watch on speaker.

"Ben, is Padme okay? I felt her pain!" the boy asked, full of concern.

"She is fine, and so is Leia," Ben assured him.

"When will they come home?"

"In two days. Angeles and Poe are going to take care of you until then."

"I can't wait to see my little sister!"

"Happy birthday, Caleb. I love you."

"I love you, too. Can I speak to Padme?"

"She and the baby are resting right now. But when she wakes up, I will have her call you."

"Okay." Ben spoke with his sister for a few minutes before disconnecting the call.

"Wow, you have a baby sister!" Poe said to the boy. "That is very cool!"

"Looks like your birthday is off to a great start," Angeles added. Caleb had a big grin on his face. His birthday was off to a great start, but he knew it was about to get even better.


	56. Chapter 56

"Can I try to fly this time?" Caleb asked Poe.

"Sure," Poe replied. They switched places, and soon the boy was flying the Ghost.

"I did it!" the boy cheered happily, as he landed the ship a few minutes.

"Ezra would be proud of you," Poe told him. Hearing Ezra's name made Caleb a little sad, but he knew Poe was right.

Lunchtime came. The Ghost was parked in the hanger. Poe brought BB8 down from the top of the ship.

"Good job," he said, patting the droid on the head. "Go get ready for what is next." BB8 beeped in the affirmative before rolling away.

"Poe, Caleb fell asleep," Angeles told him.

"Let him rest," Poe insisted, as he helped her off of the ship. "We will save his lunch for later."

He led her to a table that was set up in the hanger. They, along with BB8, sat at the table. Angeles' security guards were outside, so she and Poe were able to have some privacy.

"Poe!" she exclaimed in delight. "You ordered my favorite soup!"

"I did," he confessed lightheartedly. They enjoyed the meal together. Afterwards, they went back to the Ghost, to check up on Caleb. The boy was still sleeping.

"Have a seat," Poe urged, as he led the woman he loved to the captain's chair. Angeles thought that was unusual, but she sat down anyway. Poe pretended to check the various gauges on the console.

"Thank you for the flying lesson," she said, as Poe knelt down, pretending to look for a tool. "He was excited when I told him that it was his birthday gift from me."

"I know," Poe responded. "He was almost as excited when I told him what I was getting him."

"BB8, where is that tool?" he feigned frustration. The droid rolled over and beeped a few times.

"Poe, you didn't have to get him anything. The flying lesson is enough."

"I insisted." Poe went into one of his droid's compartments, and gave BB8 a wink. "He wanted this for his birthday, and hopefully I will be able to give it to him."

"What do you mean by that..." Angeles started to say before she stopped speaking. Poe had gotten a small box out of BB8, and opened it in front of her. Inside was a diamond ring.

"Angeles Dollslayer, will you make me, and the little boy sleeping nearby, happy by marrying me?" Poe sweetly proposed.

"Yes!" Angeles shouted gleefully. Poe slipped the ring on his fiancé's finger. They rose to their feet and shared a passionate kiss. BB8 chirped his congratulations.

"Why don't you check up on Caleb, to see if he is awake yet?" Poe suggested. The droid rolled away.

"Between your security guards and BB8, it's a miracle we get any privacy!" Poe lightheartedly complained, as he caressed Angeles' cheek. "But it's all worth it, because I get to be with you."

"I never thought we would end up together," Angeles confessed. "Not with my line of work, and especially not with the man every woman in the galaxy has a crush on."

"I think that's an exaggeration. But even if that is true, my heart belongs to you alone." They kissed before they heard BB8. Caleb was standing behind the droid.

"You got yourself another birthday gift, Caleb," Poe told the boy.

"I knew she would say yes!" he joyfully replied. He hugged both Poe and Angeles.

"No asking for cousins for your next birthday," Angeles teased him. Caleb nodded. Even if he did, he would not what he wanted. He saw his aunt's past encounter with Emperor Vader. Due to what happened back then, she was not going to be able to have children of her own.

"Ok," was all he could reply. This was not the time to tell her. She and Poe were happy, and they probably would not believe him anyway.

Ben, Padme and Leia came home two days later. Caleb was excited to see his new sister. He could not play with her like in his dreams, but he promised to play with her when she was old enough.

"So," Ben addressed Angeles, as Leia was napping upstairs. "When is the wedding?" She and Poe looked at Caleb. They had told him to keep their engagement a secret.

"Caleb didn't say anything," Padme told the couple.

"I apologize," Poe offered. "I had it planned, not realizing Leia was going to be born."

"Poe, it's fine," Ben insisted. "I'm sure Leia will love hearing about how her aunt got engaged on the day she was born."

"Congratulations," Padme added.

After Poe and Angeles left, she suggested,

"Let's go check up on Leia." They headed upstairs to the nursery. Caleb stood by the bassinette. The girl was awake but not crying.

"She should be hungry," Padme said to Ben.

"Not yet," Caleb replied. "She wanted us together before she eats."

"Did she?" Ben asked, as he picked up the boy and held him in his arms.

"I did, Daddy," Leia said through the Force. Padme picked her up and cradled her. She kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"We love you both very much," Padme said to the children. "Never ever forget that."

"Always remember to follow the path the Force has shown you," Ben added, as he gazed at his daughter. He and Padme shared a look of concern.

Caleb suddenly heard an evil voice growl at him,

"Bring her to me!"

The boy clenched his fist and said,

"We will. I will look after my sister, no matter what." He spoke this to Ben and Padme, but directed the last part of his statement to the evil voice.

"We shall see!" the voice taunted, before disappearing. Caleb was relieved to know that he was the only one to have heard the voice.

"I wonder what their future will be like?' Padme wondered.

"It is hard to see," Ben admitted. "But I do know this. They are both very powerful in the Force. Whatever the future holds, we will face it together as a family."

Padme smiled at her husband. The family left the nursery, to spend quality time together.

"May the Force always be with us," Caleb thought to himself. He vowed that nothing was going to tear his family apart.

 **Author's notes: Take one guess as to who the "evil voice" is :(**

 **I wanted to end the story here, since Padme discovered who her family was in "Secret Family" and had a family of her own in "Secret Lovers". Thanks to all who read both stories!**


End file.
